What Happened? - Gilded Cage
by Wave-Existence
Summary: PROMPT/CHALLENGE FIC: After 10 years Raven is awoken and rescued by a mysterious half demon only to find that the world has gone to Hell and her team isn't her her friends anymore. But what happened? And why can't she remember anything?
1. Prologue - Haze

**A/N: Alright, so welcome to the Prologue of Gilded Cage. This is a fic I'm writing based off of a prompt by ROLF-Wolf-Of-Thunder, titled 'What Happened?', which you can look at here: '/s/10533913/2/Propmts-Plots-Challenges', though it may contain some spoilers, though nothing too huge. So yes, I'll be using some artistic license at times, but all credit for the idea goes to ROLF and I hope he enjoys it.(apparently it doesn't like web addresses)  
**

**I wasn't 100% happy with this when I first wrote it, but going through and editing it I decided it wasn't too bad, though I might still come back and edit it again later. But I shall make it known if I do so. If your confused by the chapter, wait until you give Chapter 1 a read before you ask questions. If it won't ruin anything i'll try and answer, and of course feedback/suggestions are welcome, critical or otherwise. Enjoy!**

**(I don't own Teen Titans or the original idea for this story)**

* * *

**Prologue - Haze**

Rachel had never been happier in her life, and considering her life so far, that was saying something. She had a perfect family, a mother and father who loved each other from the depths of their hearts and never lacked in their affections for her. A great group of friends, who acted like the siblings she didn't have - redheaded Kori, the sometimes annoying, but sweet and innocent younger sister; Garfield, the _mostly_ annoying youngest brother, with his horrible jokes and pranks, but with a big heart for creatures big and small, but especially his friends; Victor, the older brother with a protective streak as wide as the world and a love of all things meat, games, sports or cars; and finally Richard, the oldest brother who constantly worried about all of them and tried to keep them out of trouble. She had more friends outside of this of course, but this was her core group and she couldn't imagine ever being parted from them.

But what made Rachel especially happy today was that High School graduation was fast closing in, and with it the start of a new and exciting chapter in her life, University. She'd heard back today from JCU about her application for the 'Ancient History and Cultures' scholarship, a subject she'd always been fascinated with, and they told her she was one of their best applicants, which had made her cry out in joy. When her parents had come running she'd shown them the acceptance letter and they'd cried and hugged, telling her how proud they were of their 'little girl', which needless to say had made her blush and protest that she "wasn't little anymore!".

Smiling as she walked the few blocks to her school for the last week of 'classes' - not that any real teaching would get done - Rachel closed her eyes and reminisced about some of the amazing memories she'd made with all of her friends and family over the years, the pranks she'd been part of or witness to - usually courtesy of Garfield and Victor - the romances and break-ups. She'd miss it all, but she'd keep the memories and Rachel knew her friends would accompany her to University, where they'd forge even more.

Suddenly, in the middle of her happy remembrances, Rachel lost her balance and staggered to lean against the side of the building next to her, a large brick structure, maybe seven stories high, probably an office building of some sort, but suddenly Rachel couldn't remember a single thing about it. Surely she'd walked past this building thousands of times over the years, why was it suddenly unfamiliar? Rachel broke out into a cold sweat as she stared vacantly ahead, everything in her view turning misty and opaque without any warning, losing all but a hint of colour.

_Ah,_ Raven thought, an odd calm in her mind contradicting the emotions she was feeling, _it's one of my episodes._

She'd been having them ever since she could remember, the only problem marring her perfect life, although recently they had grown more frequent and hit her harder than they used to. Rachel turned her eyes to the building she was using for support, brushing one hand over the brick surface. She could feel the texture of it, each bump and edge, and yet her eyes seemed to be able to look right through to the other side, vague shadowy shapes moving about their business, oblivious to anything strange going on around them. It was all in her head, Raven knew, and yet whenever an episode came upon her, she couldn't help but feel an undefined panic deep down, trying to claw it's way out of her very soul. She couldn't help but wonder, _Is this real?_

Rachel raised a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath, trying to dispel her distorted vision by force of will. These episodes never lasted too long, but they still left her with feelings of unknown dread and she wanted this one over quickly. Black shadows started to rush past her in a stream as a look of solidity seemed to return to her surroundings, and just before everything returned to normal she saw a dual pair of glowing red eyes, one spaced directly above the other, rush straight for her face.

She screamed and staggered back, raising her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself from whatever it was and squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for the pain. She stood like that for a minute, but when nothing happened, Rachel opened her eyes and looked around. No shadows, no glowing eyes, everything perfectly normal like it was not five minutes before. Well, except for all the passersby giving her looks, a mixture of curiosity or worry on their faces.

_They must think I'm crazy or something,_ Rachel thought to herself, lowering her arms and quickly continuing on the way to school. _Maybe they're right...Should I talk to someone about this?_

She'd never told anyone about these incidents, even when she was young and they'd first started happening. She didn't want to worry her parents or her friends and they seemed harmless enough. She'd never suffered any ill affects once they were over, none she could see anyway. But there was always something in the back of her mind, a voiceless whisper telling her to keep quiet about it. The episodes had been getting worse lately though, and those eyes from before...Rachel shuddered when she recalled them. They'd seemed so full of malice, a mindless rage fueled by a pain she couldn't comprehend. For some reason they reminded Rachel of the dreams she'd started having that month, though not the details. Those, she could never remember, for which she was grateful, if the flashes of images she saw right after she woke up were any indication...

Frowning and firmly shaking her head, Rachel banished all thought of the episodes, dreams and eyes from her head, brought a smile to her lips and firmly marched onto school grounds.

* * *

It was lunch time, and Rachel and her group sat around a table in one corner of the cafeteria, talking and laughing at what some might consider an ear splitting volume - though to be fair, they _did_ have to compete with everyone around them. To be more accurate, Victor and Garfield were having their daily tussle about the varied benefits of meat VS tofu and vice versa, Kori was trying to bully Richard into eating her rather unusual home cooked meal, which was a shade of colour no one at the table had seen before (with Richard loudly protesting that he was too full to "appreciate her delicious culinary skills") and Rachel sat quietly in the corner reading a thick book, or "Tome" as Garfield had joked, before he was hit on the head by said object.

Unfortunately, Rachel was stuck on the same page she'd been reading since she finished her sparse lunch, unable to concentrate on the words, which flowed across the page like water. She'd tried to put the incident on the way to school out of her mind, but those eyes she had seen haunted her thoughts, called to her. Throughout the day Rachel kept thinking she saw them out of the corner of her vision, just when she started to relax, only to find nothing there when she turned her head.

"Hey Rachel, you alright? You're looking a little pale there, and I haven't seen you turn a page since you opened that book." Richards voice startled Rachel out of her thoughts and she jumped in her chair, banging her knees on the table, which certainly would have directed the tables attention to her if Richard hadn't already. She never startled.

Rachel put her book down and turned to Richard to reassure him. "Yeah, I'm fine Richard, I just didn't get much sleep last night, you know, graduation coming up and everything," she shrugged off his concern with the excuse and a smile. The lack of sleep was true, though the reason was different. He seemed to buy it though, since he smiled back and nodded with understanding. Garfield chimed in after she'd reassured Richard, the topic of graduation grabbing his attention.

"So what's everyone getting up to once we all leave high school anyway?" he asked with a giant question mark over his head. "I mean, besides Victor, who's probably going to fall in love with a giant steak and marry it!" he laughed while ducking Victor's playful punch.

"Hey, you little bean sprout!" Victor shouted, "I'll have you know, I'm gonna be studying mechanical engineering! I've got some big plans for the world of automobiles, baby!" he declared, pumping his fist in the air.

Up until this week everyone had been busy with studying for exams or otherwise busy, so this was really the first opportunity they'd had to talk about their final plans, though of course they'd discussed what they each wanted to do over the years. Victor's news was a bit of a surprise to Rachel though. Not so much his love of cars, as that was a well established fact, but Rachel and everyone else had thought he'd continue with a sports career after school. He had, after all, already been approached by several scouts.

"But friend Victor, were you not going to continue with the 'throwing of the pig skin'?" Kori asked the question for all of us, confusion in her eyes. Her turn of phrase, however, was strange as always.

"What, football? Damn right I'm gonna keep playing, you couldn't keep me away from it with the biggest barbeque in the world!" At everyone's skeptical looks, he lowered his head and muttered, "Ok, well maybe you could...BUT ANYWAY! I'll still play, but like I said, I got plans. I wanna build my own car, from scratch. Things gonna be the fastest beast on four wheels!" he laughed and shoveled some more meat into his mouth. Or perhaps 'guffawed' would be a better description. Swallowing, he pointed at Kori and asked, "What 'bout you, decided what you're gonna do with yer life?"

This, of course, made Kori practically glow with excitement as she furiously nodded her head and answered Victor. "Oh yes friend! It is very exciting, I am going to become one of the ones who style! And I would also love to do the designing of garments." Kori looked down slightly in embarrassment at that last part. Garfield just laughed it off and patted her on the shoulder.

"A stylist and a fashion designer huh? Definitely suits you Kori!" he said with a smile. Then, with a sly look in Rachel's direction, "Maybe you could practice on Rachel here," he finished that line with a diabolical laugh, until he noticed he was being threatened with the Book-of-Mass-Destruction again and quickly shut up. The damage, however, was already done.

Rachel turned to Kori's 1000-watt smile and could practically see the hope flowing from her eyes - hope which would turn to turns if she refused her. She also noticed Richards sympathetic expression in her periphery. Focusing on Kori, Rachel gave an inaudible sigh of resignation and nodded her head, committing herself to who knew what. "Sure, Kori, why not."

It wasn't the most enthusiastic acceptance, but that flew right over Kori's head and she grabbed onto Rachel's hand, practically crushing it in her excitement. _Luckily the table's in the way, or it probably would have been my ribs,_ Rachel thought to herself ruefully. Richard decided to intervene before any more damage was done to her.

"So Rachel, I heard you got accepted into a scholarship. Congratulations, I know you worked hard for it," he said with a grin, which generated a few round eyes and claps from her friends, causing Rachel to blush and duck her head. "Thank you, everyone. Yes, I got accepted into the Ancient History and Cultures scholarship," Rachel explained to them.

"Ooooh," Garfield said, "I bet that's what your reading then, something ancient-y about kings and dragons and magic swords, just like out of 'Dark Sorcery IX'!" he exclaimed loudly. "Tell me it is!" he would have been grabbing her shoulders and shaking her back and forth if it hadn't been a death sentence.

Rachel sighed and turned the book so they could see the cover and addressed Garfield, "Actually, magic swords and dragons _aren't_ ancient history, but rather fantasy. However, you were partially correct," she told him with a smile, tapping the cover.

He squinted at it, sounding out each word like a five year old, "Compendium...of...Daemons ...and...Aetheric...Beings?" You could almost see the birds flying in circles around his head by the time he finished. Rachel decided to take pity on him and give them the simple version, "Basically, a book about demons and otherworldly creatures. Not so much history and more mythology. It's an interesting read, even if none of it's real," Rachel finished with a shrug.

"Hmm...Still, that's a bit of an unusual book for you Rachel," Richard said, with Victor adding in a, "Yeah, I thought you didn't go down for that supernatural, religious junk?".

"Is it really such a big deal? The guy at the second-hand bookstore I go to was just going to throw it out anyway, so I thought I'd give it a go...there's no need to read too deeply into it?" Rachel looked at them askance, not understanding why it surprised them so much, but giving them an answer anyway.

Garfield suddenly burst out laughing, slapping the table with one hand and holding his stomach with the other, "Haha, good one Rachel! Haha, 'read into it', because it's a book, get it?!" Sighs resounded around the table, with the exception of Kori who just wore a confused look on her face.

Rachel opened her mouth to snap at him that she hadn't meant it as a joke, and it wasn't that funny anyway, but suddenly froze, the blood draining from face and leaving her pale. In the opposite corner of the building, directly across from her, stood a shadow that defied the afternoon sunlight, an unnatural blackness that no one else seemed to notice- and those same red eyes from that morning, boring their way into her mind. Trembling, pushing her chair back, Rachel grabbed her book and all but ran out of the cafeteria, to the astonishment of her friends still at the table.

She vaguely heard Garfield ask, "What did I say?", in a hurt voice, but she was too focused on escaping the feeling those eyes provoked to reassure her friends. Like knives piercing her back, they followed her as she made her way out of the building and just as quickly disappeared.

_Maybe the book is getting to me and I'm imagining things..._Rachel told herself as she made her way to where her next class would be, still unable to stop her trembling. She didn't believe it though. Something inside her told her that shadow represented something frighteningly real, something she didn't want to know...

* * *

That night Rachel had trouble sleeping, more so than she had recently. As soon as she'd gotten home, she had just about collapsed onto her bed without even changing, completely wrung out from her day, although it wasn't physically stressful. No, it was more mental and emotional stress and she was afraid to talk to anyone about it. It was irrational, but Rachel was afraid of what would happen if she told people that all day, she was being stalked by a shadow with four brightly glowing red eyes. She could never catch sight of it full on after the cafeteria, only out of the corner of her eyes, but Raven was sure it was there, sure it was real...even if logic told her it must be otherwise. Was this madness? Surely it couldn't come upon someone so quickly, like flipping a switch? She closed her eyes and tried to block out her thoughts, desperate for the oblivion of sleep.

_**Rrrraaaaavveeeeennnnnn... ...**_

She was jerked awake by screams at the edge of her hearing, screams full of anguish or hate or pain. She jerked upright, covered in a cold sweat, and looked wildly around the room. Nothing out of place, everything was just as she remembered. Rachel looked at her alarm and saw it was nearly midnight. She ran a hand over her face and let out a sigh, when she heard it again.

_**Rraaveeennn... ...**_

No screams this time, just a name. Was it saying _her_ name? Where was it coming from? Could anyone else hear it? Unable to resist, Rachel got up and followed the sirens call, crossing her room in a daze and opening her door, stepping out into the hallway on stockinged feet.

As soon as she left her room Rachel gasped and doubled over in pain, clutching her head and letting out a low keening noise. It felt like someone was shoving an icicle into her brain, was the only way she could describe it - a sharp, cold pain spearing straight to her core. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped, though for Rachel it had seemed to last hours. When she opened her eyes again, it was as if she'd stepped into another world. One of her episodes again, but so much stronger than she'd ever experienced until now, and she'd never had more than one in any single day.

She looked around and everything was painted in white or black, any hint of colour completely obliterated. No, that wasn't right, there seemed to be...a twist of colour in the air? She looked around and saw more, making a trail further down the hallway. _A trail of colour hanging in midair, what is this?_ Rachel thought. She heard that voice again, calling her, but weaker now, below the level of hearing, if it had been a normal voice. It tugged at something inside of her, urged her to follow that strange path in the air. She stumbled down the hallway, absently noting that no matter what she did, she didn't seem to make any noise at all.

_It's like I'm in a dream world or something,_ Rachel thought, following the colours down the stairs and to the front door. She noticed that the further she got, the less distinct objects around her grew, some turning wispy and dispersing in an invisible wind, others fading in and out between black and white. Rachel thought she should probably be more alarmed at what was happening to her, but her head felt like it was full of fog, she couldn't think clearly. All she could do was follow the path laid out in front of her. She opened her front door and stepped out into a world in negative.

* * *

When Rachel finally came back to herself, she didn't know where she was, or how far she'd come and how long she'd walked. She didn't feel tired, but on a night like this, nothing could be taken at face value. She felt like reality was collapsing around her. She looked around, trying to find something familiar, a landmark or _something_, but everywhere Rachel looked all she saw were the twisted outlines of buildings, glowing white and giving off streams of black as they swayed back and forth. All except for one building, in the direction she'd been walking.

Instead of the brick or cement buildings she was used to, this one seemed to be constructed from stone, large blocks of it fitted together tightly so that mortar was unnecessary, giving it a heavy, imposing air. The windows were pointed arches and filled with coloured glass, shining from a light source she couldn't perceive, the scenes seeming to shift and change in her vision, almost hypnotizing. Tearing her gaze away, her eyes were drawn to the roof, to the tall spires, the ornate eaves - and the detailed gargoyles on the corners, staring at her. It was a building from a different era, and just above the main entrance's huge double doors was carved a symbol that glowed in the cold night air and sent shivers down her spine; a stylized 'S'.

"You shouldn't be here, Raven."

The sudden intrusion of a voice, when it seemed like she was the only person left in the world, startled Rachel and she jumped, turning around to see who'd spoken - though his voice had sounded familiar. Standing off to one side behind her - maybe coming from an alley between two building? - was a figure in...tights? Green tights. With black ankle-high boots, green elbow length gloves, a green shirt underneath a red vest sporting a yellow 'R' inside a black circle, wearing a yellow belt of some kind and a black cape with yellow on the inside. He also had on a black and white domino mask.

"W-Who are you?" Rachel asked, backing away slowly from the strangely dressed figure before her. If he saw the world as she did right now, he showed no sign of it, stepping further into the center of the path she was on.

He tapped the 'R' on his uniform and said, "You know me as Robin." The name _did_ seem familiar, but it was his voice that caught Rachel's attention. Something about it...She frowned and asked, "Is that...Richard!?"

"I thought you'd remembered everything, but apparently not..." Richard frowned and muttered to himself. "How did you get here Raven? You need to leave," he sternly demanded.

Rachel was starting to get angry. Everything had been perfectly normal when she woke up that morning, but now it felt like she didn't know anything. "Why are you calling me that, 'Raven'?! My name is Rachel!" she shouted at him, blowing off some steam. "And why are you dressed like that!? What is this place?! I've never seen it before, but I know it somehow...What's happening to me..." she finished in a whisper, closing her eyes.

There was a sharp 'snick' noise and she snapped her eyes open, to see Richard holding a long pole and falling into a martial arts pose. "I can't answer any of those, 'Rachel'," Richard said, slowly moving the staff in intricate patterns, "and I don't want to hurt you. It's best if you just forget about all of this and go back home quietly, like nothing ever happened."

She noticed it then and started laughing, part hysterical and part despair, causing Richard to pause and look at her cautiously. But Rachel wasn't paying attention to him, instead staring at the top of a building behind him. Standing there, if you could use that term, was the shadowy being that had haunted her day, and for what felt like longer. It stood there like the building it was on wasn't twisting and contorting wildly, staring down at the two of them with four burning orbs of crimson. "Tell me Richard, how am I supposed to live a normal life with that thing driving me mad?" Rachel asked him between laughs, pointing it out to him, unable to tear her eyes away.

Richard spun around in the direction she was pointing with a curse, lifting his staff up into a guard position. When his eyes fell on the figure on top of the building he froze for a moment. With an uttered "Shit!" he reflexively reached for his belt and grabbed something, a disc like object, throwing it towards the shadows on the roof as he dived and rolled, trying to put some distance them. Whatever he'd thrown passed right through it however, not fazing it in the slightest. Richard knew he was done for, even though the figure hadn't moved or threatened him. Yet.

He knew what it was though, and a cold, clammy sweat appeared on his body. He hadn't been made to fight that, or rather, such a thing was impossible in this place. He didn't stand a chance. With a look of resolve, hidden by his mask, he reached to his belt again, only this time he depressed a button hidden amongst his other tools then turned to Rachel and said, "Just remember, Raven. Even if you escape...no matter what, you will be stopped!".

At the same time Richard was doing all this, the figure on the building finally moved, spreading it's arms wide, shadowy wings forming and blocking out the sky. Darkness rushed in and covered everything, except for four points of light which were the creatures eyes and a small circle around Richard and Rachel. The four points of light, their only point of reference for the creature, rose up and hovered over them, like a bird of prey, fixing their stare on the green, red and yellow form of Richard. Futilely, he raised his staff and prepared to fight as it swooped down on him, the darkness from before pulled in it's wake and crashing down on him like a tidal wave, blotting the area from view.

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and cowered down, trying to block out the horrible screams and the tearing sounds. The snapping bones. The sound of blood being spilled on the ground. And a sound that wasn't a sound, something that speared directly into her thoughts and resonated there - a distorted cry of victory. When the noises finally stopped, Rachel risked a look up, dreading what kind of scene would meet her eyes.

_...Nothing?_ She thought incredulously.

The spot where Richard had been was empty, nothing there at all that shouldn't be, even the shadow being was gone. Had it somehow taken him with it? But surely there would have been a mess, from everything she heard... _Maybe I imagined the whole thing,_ Rachel thought with relief, willing to believe it over any other possibility. Suddenly a shadow fell on her and she turned with a scream, and saw those awful eyes staring directly into her own, almost no space separating them.

Her scream choked off as the dark wings the figure still had slowly enfolded her, drawing her that tiny distance remaining with a feather light touch. She was drawn _**into**_ the shadows under the eyes, and as she was, something in her mind seemed to fall away, chains she hadn't known were there. Images started to appear in her minds eye:

_Her life on Azerath flashes through her mind, mental discipline and training, emotional control, her mother, Azar and her father, Trigon._

_Her self-instilled exile to Earth, to prevent Trigon from destroying her home. Rejection by that worlds heroes to help her.  
_

_Appearing in Jump and seeing Robin uses his gadgets to distract Starfire from destroying the town._

_Raven watching Beast Boy leap at a rampaging Starfire, sending her flying and a concealed Cyborg joining the battle._

_Starfire freeing her hands from manacles and firing bolts of energy at the three heroes._

_Raven finally stepping in, the 5 teens coming to an agreement and saving each other from an alien threat._

_Happiness. Guilt. Adventures. Sadness. Acceptance and contentment. Love, friendship, family. A flash of pink hair._

_**BETRAYEL.**_

Slowly Raven came back to herself, her memories - _**My real memories!**_ - settling into her mind just as a long cloak, the colour of freshly spilled blood, enveloped her physical body. The hood, still with the four demonic eyes, settled itself over her head and the eyes winked out as they overlapped her own.

Knowing what kind of place she was in now, Raven looked up at the symbol of Scath above the old library doors and smiled, then strode purposefully up to the doors, cloak sweeping out behind like the wings from not so long ago, leaving a crimson trail behind her. The Robin construct had said they'd stop her, but things wouldn't be so easy for them.

Just as she pulled open the double doors and was about to step inside, the world shattered around her, cracks forming over everything, in the very air itself. The pieces exploded outwards, shards of dream rushing past Raven, slicing into her mind as they went, faster and faster, too quick to defend herself. The last piece, the mark of Scath above the door, fell in slow motion into the void this world now was, taking Raven with it.


	2. Chapter 1 - Three-Fold Cage

******A/N: Alright, so welcome to Chapter 1 of Gilded Cage. This is a fic I'm writing based off of a prompt by ROLF-Wolf-Of-Thunder, titled 'What Happened?', which you can look at here: '/s/10533913/2/Propmts-Plots-Challenges', though it may contain some spoilers, though nothing too huge. So yes, I'll be using some artistic license at times, but all credit for the idea goes to ROLF and I hope he enjoys it.(apparently it doesn't like web addresses. That's also not a typo on my part.)**

******I was a lot happier with this chapter than the previous one. I even did it in one sitting. Even if it was a lengthy one. Still, if you spot mistakes or room for improvement, throw it at me, lay it on me, whatever you gotta do. Also, i don't own Teen Titans, or the original idea for this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Three-Fold Cage**

_**NIGHTWING, WAKE UP, THERE'S A PROBLEM AT THE CAGE!**_

The call slammed into Nightwing's brain like a physical blow, instantly waking him up from the nightmare that was already dimming in his memory. His dreams were a problem for another time though, if what he just heard was true.

Swinging his legs out bed and quickly getting dressed, Nightwing thanked the gods that Starfire was a heavy sleeper. She'd trained herself to wake up instantly to the Titans alarm, since criminals never seemed to sleep, but other than that it could be difficult to wake her. That suited Nightwing just fine, with his penchant for keeping odd hours himself, especially when he was in what his friends would call his 'obsession' mood.

The mask wasn't strictly necessary - everyone in the Tower knew who he was these days, and it was no secret to his caller either - but it was a habit he'd gotten into ever since leaving Batman's side and he barely even thought of it anymore. Finishing with his uniform, he headed for the door, with a last look back at Starfire's sleeping form, wishing he could go back and join her. With a sigh and shake of his head, he entered the Tower hallway, making his way to his study so he could contact the origin of the call directly, as well to check up on the Cage.

Nightwing tried not to think of the Cage when he didn't have to. He hated the necessity of it, how excessive it was, but he told himself that some things just had to be done, for the greater good. Even if he lost sleep over it and guilt gnawed at his insides. _It's what she would've wanted..._he thought to himself, _not to become a monster._

Arriving at his study, he took a deep breath and readied himself for anything. Opening the biometric lock on the door, he strode in as the lights flicked on and the computers started booting up, the door auto-locking behind him. He walked purposefully towards a dark corner, deliberately kept in shadow and out of prying eyes. It was here he kept various reminders - some of his past failures, some of how much he still had to learn. Here a suit from his time as Slade's apprentice; there a black and orange mask; a Batarang; his old Robin suit. And one more thing, almost out of place, what looked like a red gem.

Opening the case it was in, Nightwing passed his hand over it and it lit up, while next to it part of the wall slid outward, revealing a small room. It was just big enough for him and a computer set-up, and it _wasn't_ part of the original blueprints of the Tower. When the door swung closed behind him, symbols lit up with a gentle glow along the walls of the secret room, sealing the room from any possibility of being spied on, magically or otherwise, except for very specific signals.

He pressed the power button on the computer, and as it was starting up, pulled his communicator from his belt and put in a call to Zatanna Zatara. It came through as audio only, but it was obvious she was agitated.

_"Jesus Dick, it took you long enough, I told you there was a problem! Have you had a chance to look yet?" _she asked him in a rush, clearly flustered. Part of Nightwing was glad there wasn't a video feed, so she couldn't see him pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No Zee, it's 3:20AM here, you woke me up and I _just_ entered the room," he explained calmly, without a hint of his frustration showing. "Couldn't you have looked in on her yourself? Surely it would have been quicker." The computer was asking for a login and a password, so he typed those in as he waited for a reply.

_"I would have, but I'm tied up with Justice League work at the moment and it's too important to put on hold, even for something like this," _he could hear the frustration in Zatanna's voice and he nodded, even though she couldn't see it, as he pulled a glove off to scan his fingerprints. He'd heard that recently there had been a sharp spike in various magical crimes or incidents and most heroes with magical knowledge were called on to help stem the tide, so to speak.

"It's fine," Nightwing told her, "I've just had trouble sleeping lately. Alright, surveillance is coming up, anything in particular I'm looking for?" he asked, silently hoping that nothing would be wrong. He didn't know how he would break it to his team if something _was_ wrong, one way or another.

_"I'm...not sure. Just, anything out of the ordinary?" _Zatanna asked hesitently, and Nightwing sighed loudly as he changed the video feed to full screen. "That's not very helpful Zee," he said, "you know I'm not good with magic." He frowned at the screen and used the controls to move the camera around. Everything seemed normal, no changes from his weekly observations. The magic symbols and patterns etched deeply into the center of the floor, walls and ceiling glowed brightly with power. The equipment along the sides of the walls seemed to be functioning normally and the reading on the side of his screen agreed. But there was something off...

_"Well I'm sorry Nightwing, but I don't have specifics,"_ Zatanna all but snapped at him. _"All I know is that the alarm for the mental containment went off, then the fail-safe activated shortly after that. Hopefully it was some kind of false alarm but..."_ Nightwing barely payed attention to her, absorbed in trying to figure out was off about the room. And then it clicked and he inhaled sharply.

In the very center of the room, right in the middle of the glowing magic circle, was a structure somewhat resembling a birdcage, a very large one. This wasn't what had grabbed Nightwing's attention though, since the room had been built around that cage. No, what had shocked him and made his spine stiffen was that, instead of a purple haired woman inside, there was darkness. Darkness and four glowing points of light, staring directly at him through the camera. He shuddered and quickly panned the camera away.

"Yeah, something's happened alright..." Nightwing informed Zatanna, filling her in on what he'd just seen. "Is it a problem? What does it mean?" he asked her.

_"...Of course it's a problem, but I don't know how big,"_ Zatanna replied, concerned. _"She's still contained, so at least the rest of it is working, but it seems like she has self-awareness again, even if it's subconscious..."_ she mused to herself, muttering different possibilities and solutions to herself quietly, before snapping out another question to Nightwing. _"Are you sure there's nothing else different in the room apart from Raven? There was also a tiny fluctuation in the perimeter spells. It happens sometimes, but with this timing...it might not be coincidence."_

Nightwing slowly panned the camera around the room again. The room was designed to be fully viewable from every angle by camera, and it was _supposed_ to be perfectly lit so there were no shadows, but the different magics working in the room cast their own shifting light, which sometimes conflicted with each other and could trick the eye. And was it just him, or were filaments of Raven's soul-self reaching out of the cage, or were they just normal shadows - where there shouldn't be any at all?

"No, I don't particularly see anything else in there...but the lighting is stranger than usual. I don't suppose you could pop in to look things over?" he asked hopefully, but knowing what kind of answer he'd get.

_"Damn it. You know I would, but I really can't get away from here for at least three days," _Zatanna was clearly annoyed and Nightwing could hear the dull thud of an impact from the other side. She must have hit something. Nightwing sighed, resigned to his fate. "Alright Zee, I'll go have a look around. Can you zap me in there?"

_"Sure thing, though I can't teleport you right into the room. Be careful, hey. I don't need to tell you what will happen if Raven gets loose while you're in there..."_ she said, worried about him. Before he could give a reply, she incanted a spell, _"Dnes Gniwthgin ot Snevar Egac!"_ and Nightwing disappeared in a puff of blue and purple smoke.

* * *

Ja'Riha sat patiently in his hole in the floor, watching the camera placed in one corner sweep every inch of the room. He was aware that the person watching would come and check in person regardless, but if nothing appeared wrong it would give him precious time and hopefully an advantage if it came to any trouble. He switched his gaze to the middle of the room and the burning eyes that stared at that camera as if they could follow the electronic signals, see the person at the other end and tear them limb from limb. Who knew, maybe they could. Anything was possible with this one.

_A Three-Fold Cage,_ Ja'Riha thought with disgust. He'd seen them before in his time as a slave, of course. Even been subjected to one before, though he tried not to think of it. This one was different to the ones he'd seen, but he could guess how it worked easily enough; the giant magic construct on the ground around the cage, glowing blue and white, with lines of symbols running away in each cardinal direction, up the walls and to a mirror construct on the roof- that would be to block any and all magical workings from inside. He also noticed the orange symbols circling the walls at regular intervals, which he knew blocked teleportation, since he'd tried that before the more physical way. The cage itself was the second part, obviously designed to trap the physical body, but this one seemed modified too, with each bar being made of a different metal and magical sigils spiraling up and down each one. These, however, didn't have much of a glow anymore. Most were dark, but a few had a fitful violet light. Probably the last aspect of the cage, Ja'Riha thought, and what some considered the worst - the mental part.

He wished he'd been able to get here sooner, but it had taken a couple of years since he came to this plane to reach this moment. Ja'Riha had heard only rumors about her before he came to Earth; a half demon destined to bring about the end of her mortal planet, but who had somehow turned the tables on her demonic father, Trigon the Terrible, defeating him utterly. It was this that had inspired him to seek her out, in the hopes she could help him, only to find that no one seemed to know where she was anymore.

It had taken him a long time to put together that her team mates, her friends, had turned on her for some reason. It took even longer to find out what happened after that, not to mention a lot of favors to dangerous individuals and dealing with the underground magic community. He'd recently gotten the tip that she was buried deep down on the outskirts of town though, and the spike of magic he'd felt just hours before had proven it. So, using his shape-shifting ability, he'd changed himself into a Hell-hound, locked onto that fading magic scent and followed it down into the ground, digging straight through steel, soil and stone with claws as hard as diamond and his demonic strength.

Things had gotten a bit more dicey once he'd hit the magical wards, but they'd just proven that he was on the right track and he was determined not to waste any more of the time he had left. So again, he'd activated his ability and this time, changed into the demon equivalent of an earthworm. He was roughly twice the size of a normal earthworm, had segments which would break most predators teeth - assuming one were to try - and had a multitude of small, sharp teeth. Adjusting to the new form after a few moments, Ja'Riha had kept tunneling, knowing he was close now and confident that his small size would get him past any magical scrutiny.

He'd been right, he reflected, as he focused again on the scene in front of him, just in time to see the camera stop moving - and to see the eyes swivel in their dark enclosure and focus on _him_. If he'd been in humanoid form, he would have swallowed convulsively and broken out into a sweat. As it was, he knew it was time to get to work and free the person before him, though it seemed like she'd already started, with the mental cage broken and a strand of her power leeching out into the major circle. But Ja'Riha knew she wouldn't have time to get fully free and he couldn't see what condition her body was in underneath her power anyway. He was willing to bet it wasn't good though.

Leaving his hole, he quickly transformed himself back into his human shape. Though it hurt to shift so quickly, he didn't have time, so he used a life time of practice and bundled up the pain of skin, muscles and bones stretching and growing in seconds, of organs growing, shrinking and disappearing in the blink of an eye, and shoved it all deep down to deal with later. It left him pale and sweating, but fully functional until he could collapse screaming in private. He took a deep breath an opened his eyes and they glowed a pale yellow as he looked around the room, watching the interactions of magic with his demon sight, trying to find the best place to break through.

He wished he was better at energy manipulation, but being a slave in the demon realms didn't really lend itself to improving ones abilities, unless they were useful to the task you were assigned. And no slave owner would ever let their property learn what they might use to break free. Not that it had stopped Ja'Riha, but he was far from proficient. _Guess I'll just 'ave ta brute force it,_ he thought to himself, frowning and looking around again, noticing something he'd passed over earlier.

There, chest high in the corners of the room. He looked closer and saw especially compact magic circles, almost spirals really. They glowed a pale red, but he could tell they were powerful and definitely offensive. _Nothin' for it,_ he looked at the cage and noticed that the eyes had retreated, along with her soul-self, until it just barely covered her skin, the red orbs hovering just over her forehead, staring at him.

"Looks like ya know what I need ta do," Ja'Riha directed at them, walking over to stand out of the path of fire for when those 4 spells went off. And they would, he knew. "Hope yer ready fer a bumpy ride miss," he told her, before breathing deeply and gathering his power.

A yellow glow, similar to his eyes, enveloped his whole body as he concentrated, flowing up and down like light playing on water. The spells in the corner, sensing it, started charging up, the pale red glow intensifying until it was almost painful to look at. With a shout from the depths of his soul that shook the room, Ja'Riha snapped his eyes open and slammed one of his feet onto the very edge of the giant construct on the ground, smashing his power into it like a pick axe into rock. And just like rock, the construct splintered and magic rushed out, pushing him back just as the four lethal spells in the corner reached their peak and flashed like miniature suns, launching their magic in a blazing path straight towards the center of the room, igniting the very air as they passed.

The eyes in the cage flashed a crimson to match them and the darkness rushed out from the woman to cover the interior of the cage, water vapour pouring out of it and instantly freezing again as a void was formed, snap freezing the bars of her cage. The superheated magic barely even paused as they vaporized the now brittle metal bars of the cage, evaporating even the steam that momentarily formed. When they touched the void inside, however, their energy was sucked right out of them, then thrust back out into the world, scything through the remaining spells in the room like a blade of light and cracking the floor, melting the metal on the walls and roof. Dirt and cement dust rained down on Ja'Riha as he picked himself up from the floor, shaken, glad those spells and that energy blade hadn't been anywhere near him, or else there'd be a Ja'Riha shaped outline on the wall.

He peered through the falling dirt and debris, the fading light of the spell circles showing melted steel hanging from the roof like demented stalactites, electrical wires swinging and whipping back and forth, cement thrusting up from the floor like spikes - and a perfectly circular area inside the mostly ruined cage that was untouched. Inside that, he could finally make out features of the person he'd come to rescue and it made him shake with rage. She was sitting with her knees up to her chest, face lowered into them and emaciated arms curled around them, with numerous tubes and wires sticking out and running into the floor. _**Drugs and probably something that barely kept her from dying of starvation or dehydration,**_ Ja'Riha growled to himself, his demon side rearing it's head. Drugs didn't exist in the demon realms - when suppression was needed, spells or physical force worked - but since coming to Earth he'd seen more people die from them than were saved.

He walked over to her and also noticed that her feet and hands were shackled together, with a chain leading between them and also to a collar around her neck. She was also naked and had yet more tubes inserted to remove her bodily wastes. Her long hair had mostly hidden that from further away, but now he could see they'd stripped her of everything; dignity, magic, awareness, anything that made her a living, thinking being. Ja'Riha flexed his hands and reached down, snapping the chains that held her with ease. They'd reduced her to mere flesh, but now, she was free, like he was free.

He gently pulled the tubes and wires from her, careful not to cause any damage in her current state. She would heal it now, but her strength was better saved for other things. He bent and lifted her into his arms, noting that she weighed almost nothing, trying not to move her too much. From what he'd found out, she'd probably spent the last 10 years in that position, barely able to move a muscle. The pain would be terrible when she tried to move. He noticed something covering her mouth. A magic talisman of some kind? Disgusted by the entire ordeal, he pulled it off her and ignited it from pure spite.

That's when the magic sigils that still held power on the walls behind him rearranged themselves into a door and opened, revealing a figure in a dark suit with stylized blue wings over his chest.

* * *

Nightwing opened his mouth to remind Zatanna that he was always careful, but before he knew it, he was removed from Titans Tower and deposited in a room below ground on the outskirts of Jump, courtesy of Zatanna's magic. He looked at his communicator and saw that she'd already disconnected.

"Damn it Zee," Nightwing sighed, "you could have at least stuck around in case there was trouble." Shrugging and putting the communicator back on his belt, he turned to door which would lead to the stairs down to Raven's...to the Cage. Quickly entering a different login and password to before, he pressed his finger to another panel and let it take a drop of blood. This served two purposes; it served as another security measure and it also temporarily altered the spells throughout the building to accept his biological signature. Finally, he lined his mask up with another scanner and sent an encrypted data pack to it through his masks infrared communications, enunciated a lengthy vocal pass code, and watched the lights along the side of the door all turn green. It unlocked and he pushed it open, slowly making his way down into the depths, trying to delay the inevitable.

He hated coming here. Seeing it in person was so much worse than through a computer. It made it more personal, though he knew that was ridiculous. How much more personal could locking up your friend and team mate - body, mind and soul - get? He sighed and shook his head, trying to remain impersonal, to be the Hero of Justice that the world expected. It worked, if only on the outside. _Halfway down huh,_ Nightwing thought, glancing at the marks on the wall to gauge how far he had to go.

He remembered the day they put her in here. He didn't think he could ever forget it; the rage in her eyes as they'd locked her up and put her under, a cover for the soul crushing pain of betrayal she felt that her friends, her family, could do this to her. She'd fought until the very end, her emotions far beyond control, but by then she'd had no energy left, thanks to Zatanna joining the fray earlier. She might've won if that hadn't been the case. _And what then?_ Nightwing thought. _Would it have been like Trigon all over again? Or worse?...Or would nothing have happened at all?_ Such thoughts tormented him at night, but he knew that he couldn't risk it - the _**world**_ couldn't risk it - so he'd done what he thought he had to, and he'd gotten his friends to help. Raven's friends. The Justice League had listened to him and his team later and reluctantly accepted his judgement, though he knew some of them were uneasy about it. After all, she hadn't actually _done _anything.

Lost in his thoughts of the past, Nightwing failed to notice the slight shaking under his feet for a moment, but then his gut screamed at him to move. When you fought super powered villains for a living, with a broad range of powers, you learned to listen to your instincts. Without thinking, he leapt down the stairs to the next platform. Just as he landed, a blade of energy speared through the wall down below and continued up through where he'd been standing but a moment before.

Cursing and ignoring the debris falling around him, he pulled his grapple out and attached it to the stair rail before leaping out into empty space, quickly passing the remaining few staircases and platforms, the floor quickly approaching. Hitting the brakes and detaching the grapple chord, he sprinted down the short hallway at the bottom towards a door that normally glowed orange, but right now was flashing red and blue.

_The emergency protocols, good!_

Normally, he'd have to go through similar security like above, but in the case of emergencies - which this clearly was - if you'd already cleared the first checks, the magic would automatically open a door into the room when it recognized you. So as Nightwing approached the glowing symbols, they stopped flashing red, swirled into a spiral and glowed a steady blue. The metal they were inscribed on split open and slid into the walls, giving him a clear view of the destruction, and who stood in the center. Nightwing ran into the room and confronted what he could only call a demon.

The creature stood head and shoulders taller than him, and he wasn't exactly short anymore. He basically rippled with muscle, though he didn't look particularly bulky. No, he was well proportioned and it was all muscle, no doubt with supernatural juice to throw behind it too. He was also naked for some reason and Nightwing could see scars covering almost every inch of him. His skin had a leathery look to it, though it was hard to tell because his mask was filtering out dust particles and compensating for low light, but he thought it also had a yellow tinge. His eyes, they were _definitely_ yellow, and glowing fiercely, though he only had two, compared to Ravens four when she went demonic. Poking out of his short black hair, he could see two horns, not large and one of them looked broken off. It could almost pass as human - but at the same time, it never could.

Getting over his shock, Nightwing pulled his Eskrima sticks out and fell into a defensive posture, unsure of the threat this creature posed and preferring to let it make the first move. Considering the time and place, he didn't think it would be friendly.

It turned to face him fully, and he saw that it was holding Raven in it's arms, free of all restraints and oblivious to the world. Or he supposed he'd be dead already.

"So, yer the one who did this," it said to him in a rough voice, lifting Raven up slightly, as if he didn't know what it meant. When the creature had opened it's mouth to speak, he noticed that it's teeth were pointed and he shuddered internally. _Demons_.

Frowning at it, Nightwing said, "Put her down and no one has to get hurt!" He didn't think it would work, but he could dream. As he expected, the demon in front of him just smiled and chuckled, but those eyes held a different emotion than humor and he clenched the weapons in his hands.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Sir," it's eyes glowed brighter as it spoke to him and from what little he'd heard, it's speech improved as well, "you see, I need this little thing to give me a helping hand and indirectly, it'll help you pathetic mortals as well. Though considering what you've put her through, I'm sure she'll fix that..." it chuckled darkly and turned away from Nightwing, not interested in a fight, apparently.

Nightwing gritted his teeth and prepared to leap into battle. He couldn't let it go, especially not with Raven. He also wanted to know what it had been talking about. Maybe it had something to do with the rising magic incidents? Before he could take more than a step or two though, the demon, with Raven in it's arms, disappeared in a swirl of yellow smoke and sulfur, leaving words behind like a prophecy; "Let Justice be done, though the Heavens Fall..."

Nightwing cursed again. He'd been doing that a lot lately, he absently noticed in a distant part of his mind. Putting his Eskrima sticks away, he got his communicator out and dialed Zatanna. If she hadn't already felt what happened here, he had to fill her in. Then he needed to have a meeting with his team.

He wasn't looking forward to it.

* * *

**Exciting, no? What will happen next? How much will Raven remember when she wakes up? How will she react to her half-demon savior? How will the Titans and Zatanna react to a Raven on the loose? And where's Jinx during all these shenanigans? Many questions will be asked and fewer still answered, tune in next time, whenever that may be!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Moving in the Night

**A/N: Holy crap, how did this chapter happen, I don't even...words just kept flowing, like spaghetti from my fingers. A note on the previous chapter by the way, I don't if people realize or I'm just retarded, but it was ridiculously annoying to do Zatanna's magic. Typing shit backwards, let alone saying it, stuff that. Also the M rating probably starts to kick in from here, if it hasn't already.  
**

**As usual, I don't own Teen Titans or anything DC related, not the original idea for this story. Oh and it somehow became morning when I wasn't looking, so if you spot mistakes, let me know, I got the ones I could, but my eyes are kind of funky right now.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Moving in the Night**

One the other side of Jump City, in a cramped alleyway on the docks, a small explosion of bright yellow smoke swirled into existence, disappearing down either side and pushed into the air by the buildings. When it disappeared, Ja'Riha was leaning heavily against one of the walls, breathing heavily and shaking all over, trying not to drop the figure bundled in his arms.

"Gods be damned, but that weren't fun," he panted out, eyes closed and gulping down the night air and the ocean salt. Ja'Riha hadn't thought it would be that hard to get out - there were residues of the spell left when all was said and done, but the main thing had been broken. He'd had to push himself through those lingering remnants and it had felt like molten fire caressing his skin. Every nerve ending was afire, sending signals of pain to his brain.

_If I were stronger, then maybe..._but no, he was only as strong as he was. There was no use bemoaning the fact that someone stronger - magically, at least - like Raven, wouldn't have had a problem getting past that energy. It wouldn't get him anywhere and he realized he'd been standing there for at least twenty minutes. He had to move.

Telling himself to ignore the pain, Ja'Riha pushed away from the wall and walked unsteadily down the alley towards a dimly lit street. He wasn't worried about the locals so much - it was late and most people knew to avoid the area at night. No, it was the Titans and whoever they'd gotten to make that room and cage that hurried him along. They'd have ways of tracking him, but thankfully he had a bolt hole not too far from where he'd appeared.

Actually, Ja'Riha had a number of bolt holes throughout the city, slowly adding to them as time or paranoia dictated. The one near the docks was one of his earlier ones, actually the oldest that he hadn't since used or had discovered. Plus, being on the other side of town from the cage room was a nice bonus, even if it did put him closer to Titans Tower. He was hoping that in itself would be something of an advantage.

He reached the end of the alley and peered both ways down the street from the shadow cast by the building next to him. Ja'Riha may not have been worried about the locals posing any threat, but being spotted was just asking for trouble he didn't need and a potential trail to him. As he stepped out under the dim street lights, power suddenly lanced out from the figure in his arms and cracked the glass tubes inside, plunging the area into darkness. He glanced down at Raven but couldn't feel any stirring. _Using her powers subconsciously to help hide, eh?_ he wondered, silently amazed she could do even that much in her state. Still, he hoped that was all she'd had left in her, since leaving a trail of broken lights would be a little suspicious, though maybe not obvious. But Ja'Riha had heard plenty of stories about the Batman and his apprentices over the years and had no doubt Ravens old leader would make a connection if it was more than a single light.

Shrugging slightly, he continued down the street towards the dock warehouses, staying in the deepest shadows where he could. Thankfully he didn't have far to go, as the nights exertions were finally starting to catch up. He could the pain he was holding back slowly creeping into his system, blurring his vision just slightly and starting a pounding in his head. He was going to be in for a long night when he finally got to a safe place, relatively speaking.

Perhaps that's why, as he reached the large warehouses and turned down a small pathway between two of them, he failed to spot the figure expertly trailing him over the roofs. A figure peering down at them from a single eye in a half-black and orange mask. Watching the two half demons disappear between the buildings, the figure nodded to itself before jumping down and vanishing into the night.

Oblivious to their watcher, Ja'Riha reached a dead end, or what seemed to be one. It was the back of a building, of red brick, probably a harbor administration building of some sort. What he wanted, however, was a loose square of cement in the ground to his left. It didn't _look_ loose, of course and it hadn't started out that way, or not completely. He'd discovered the semi-loose cement not long after he'd first come to the city and was sniffing around - literally - for Raven, or any scent of her magic. Hellhounds were rather excellent at both; he'd spent enough time being chased by them and chasing as one to know. He'd smelt something dead down this dead-end, and with nothing in obvious view, he'd been curious enough to have a look around.

What Ja'Riha had found, after he'd pried the cement up fully - no mean feat - was about ten foot of dirt covering reinforced steel, though parts of it had started to rust, probably from rain water dripping through over the years. Curious, he'd chewed his way through the steel - and dropped from a corner roof to find himself in what he later learned was some kind of nuclear or fallout shelter. He'd also found the dried corpse of whoever's shelter it had been. Ignoring that, he'd looked around, noting the empty supplies, the beds in one corner and the still relatively good condition of the shelter. Ja'Riha had then checked the proper entrance It was a large circular portal, with numerous metal poles thicker than his forearms thrusting into it from the walls and a small, empty depression in the middle of the door, probably for a key of some kind.

He'd tried his strength against it, in human form, and hadn't been able to budge it an inch. If he shifted, he could probably get through with no trouble, but he'd been satisfied. He'd grabbed the corpse, teleported out of the room and disposed of it, then went about making the shelter his own, and more or less magic proof.

Laying down Raven, gently, Ja'Riha looked around quickly before using a finger to trace an upside down triangle with a line through it. A purple glow followed his finger and when he was done, he lay his hand over the glowing symbol then stepped back, as it gently rose into the air. He'd made many improvements to the shelter over time, blocking teleporting and magically locking the entrances were the first. The stairs of earth that were revealed were second. Picking Raven back up again, he slowly descended the stairs into safety, temporary or not. The cement slab lowering back down after he passed, a mirrored symbol glowing on the underside.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, Ja'Riha gently lowered himself into the hole he'd widened and smoothed out, breathing a sigh of relief at being surrounded by his own magic wards. Sure, they weren't masterful, but they'd do the job; no magical entrances or snooping would get in, at least for a while, and they'd probably need to know where to look. Walking over to the beds in the opposite corner, he passed the now stocked shelves and various stacks of books on a table and slowly lowered Raven onto one, still careful not to move her much. He grabbed a blanket and covered her nakedness, noting with relief as he did so that a pale blue glow covered her whole body, her healing at work.

Leaving her be for now, he moved over to another bed and grabbed some clothes to put on, since he couldn't take them with him when he shifted forms. He was truly envious of those heroes and villains who could. The shelter _did_ have a small shower area and he was covered in dirt, dust and sweat, but he was still putting the pain he'd accumulated through the night in a stranglehold and he knew he had to release it. There's be a lot more sweating then and he'd probably bite or hit something hard enough bleed, so he'd have to wait. But on the off chance that Raven woke unexpectedly early, he didn't want her first sight to be a naked man, so he threw on some underwear and a pair of jeans with a loose shirt and headed over to the table.

Sitting down in the only chair, Ja'Riha clenched his jaw and tried to relax his other muscles as he lowered the mental shields between himself and his pain and it all came flooding back in. He could probably have left it and eventually it would dissipate, but dealing with it while he could would get rid of it quicker and until he did it would be a drain on his resources. It was a trickle at first, barely noticeable to him, but it quickly picked up speed and he started sweating as he shook in his chair, trying not to make a noise as all his hurts clamored for attention; the bruised muscles from too much quick shifting, some actually torn. Bones just slightly out of shape and rubbing wrong against each other, organs out of place, though not drastically. His mind was raw from the bursts of magic he'd either given off or been next to and his skin felt scraped raw all over from his earlier teleport - an improvement over the original feeling at least. If he didn't know otherwise he'd thinks parts of it were missing.

He let out a low growl and slammed his fist into the chair arm as he sat through the pain, splintering the wood and almost breaking it straight off the chair. His muscles tensed and locked in place, which sent out new waves of pain and his face formed a grimace. He'd felt worse than this before, in his time as a slave. And this was a multitude of things, rather than a single punishment. He remembered the time he'd gotten caught after his first escape attempt, Ja'Riha and three others he'd been friends with for years.

* * *

_Ja'Riha ran through the forest of dead trees under a blood red sun, with sickly orange clouds floating in the sky, breathing hard. He'd been running for hours, but he knew pursuit was close, so he couldn't slow down, even if his legs felt like they were on fire. He could hear his friends in the forest around him, crashing into petrified tree limbs, panicked breathing reaching him with their curses._

_Suddenly a new sound entered his ears, an eerie howl that his ears could just hear. The howl was full force in his mind though and sent a primal terror through him, spurring him onto new speeds. They'd brought Hellhounds to run them down. His friends in the forest cried out in fear, recognising it as well, and the sound seemed to spur on the beasts behind. They came on like a tidal wave, their howls growing louder in their minds and beyond their ability to hear. They were completely silent when on the hunt, unless you could hear them mentally. Not that it would help you._

_He noticed he didn't hear his fellow escapees anymore. Had they been run down? Or had they given up? Surely not. Their fate would be the same if they ran or stopped, why give up without a fight if you were going to die anyway!_

_Ja'Riha jumped over a dry stream bed, sprinting for all he was worth, looking with hope at the mountains ahead of him, like jagged daggers stabbing into the sky. If he could just reach them...then what? He didn't know, but he'd heard stories, stories of freedom. He'd never known it, but he dreamed of it constantly. A world where no one would tell him what to do, or whip for a wrong glance, like he was less than the dirt they walked on._

_Rocks clattered behind him and he knew one of the beasts had caught up. They might not make noise, but their surroundings did. Spying a fallen tree limb on the ground, he ducked down to pick it up. It saved his life as a Hellhound, all yellow skin and flaming fur, it's fangs dripping saliva which melted into the ground, flew through the air where his head had been. Shuddering in fear, he lifted up the branch, a pathetic weapon against this monster, which turned to him with glowing eyes and snarled silently. It's back legs tensed as it prepared to jump and Ja'Riha tried to roll out of the way, swinging the branch as he went._

_He managed to hit the creature, but it didn't seem fazed and it had scored a long slice down his arm, which burned fiercely from it's saliva. Panting, Ja'Riha watched it circle, his heart beating fast, desperation growing. The longer he took here, the more of them would catch up. Giving a primal roar, he rushed at the Hellhound, swinging his branch weapon wildly, hoping to get a lucky hit in. The Hellhound ducked and spun with unnatural agility, then it's jaws closed over one end of his weapon and it ripped it right out of his hands, crushing it as it went. Then it leapt at him, claws taking him in the chest as it rode him to the ground, fangs coming for his face._

_Instinctively, he raised an arm in it's path and it bit down, hard enough he could hear bones snapping. Howling his pain at the sky, his other arm flailed on the ground, searching for something, anything to help him. The Hellhound shook it's head and he heard more bones break as his other hand found a large, smooth rock. Nearly blind with pain he wrapped his fingers around it and lifted it up, smashing it into the beasts head as hard as he could. It's jaws relaxed for a moment, before it started biting harder than before. Almost unconscious, not thinking at all, he hammered his free hand with the rock into it's head over and over, not stopping even when it's jaws finally released his arm and it fell off. Mindless, he flailed his blood covered weapon at the Hellhound again and again, as pain and poison ate at his body._

_They found him like that not long after, the rest of the hounds forming up into a circle around him and the body of their pack-mate as their Master strode over to the deranged half-demon._

_"Well slave," the Master said, "you've done pretty well here. Certainly better than your compatriots. No fight in them at all, barely even acted as a chew toy for these fine beasts."_

_The words, or perhaps the voice, penetrated Ja'Riha's mind and he finally dropped the rock and collapsed, breathing shallowly now but glaring up at the tall figure standing over him in hate._

_"Yes indeed, you're quite spirited. It would be a shame to end you like the others. Spirited ones are always full of energy, if you can channel it properly," the figure said, noting Ja'Riha's anger. "You're in luck slave, you've impressed me. I think I'll let you live. Perhaps you'll try to escape again...? I hope so, this has been the most fun I've had for a while!"._

_The figure laughed and picked Ja'Riha up, not even concerned that he posed a threat. "You've caused a bit of trouble though, and I need to set an example for the rest of the slaves, so you need to be punished. Something fitting..." he mused as he walked, Hellhounds following without a gesture. Ja'Riha was too weak to even think properly at this point, let alone try and inflict any kind of damage. So the last words the Master spoke before he passed out didn't register, until he woke up screaming an hour later, hanging from chains as they cut and peeled the flesh from him in long strips, only stopping when he passed out so they could heal him and bring him back around, only to keep flaying him from where they left off. Three days later they stopped and he was put back to work, new skin tender and unable to talk from all his screaming._

* * *

Rising from the memories he shuddered from the remembered pain, but it helped put his current hurts in perspective. It was nothing compared to those days, where he hoped he would die and then begged for it, before falling to mindless pleading. It was probably one of the worst physical pains he had experienced in his life, and at the time he'd thought nothing would ever hurt more than that. Ja'Riha had been young and naive then though, in both body and spirit. At least physical wounds healed.

* * *

Eyes closed, Jinx breathed deep of the cool, night air and bathed in the silver light of the full moon as she stood atop a tall building in central Jump. She loved and loathed nights like this, since they reminded her too much of Raven. She'd thought they were friends and she'd actually started giving up her criminal ways, almost convinced to join the Titans, but then Raven just...up and left, seemingly without a word to anyone. Not that she'd ever asked the Titans, they weren't on the best of terms then and she tried to avoid them even now, though she'd been keeping a low profile, so it wasn't that hard.

Opening her eyes, Jinx looked to the building across from her, trying to think of the best approach. She could use magic of course, but she tried to avoid that when stealing, since it could be pretty obvious at times and would bring the Titans down on her like a landslide. If it looked like a normal theft, usually it was just plain old cops and Jinx was good enough not to leave any signs for _those_. Honestly, Jinx was kind of glad she'd never had to choose to give up thieving. The rush was just too good, the adrenaline during a job and the satisfaction afterwards, she didn't think anything else could compare. _Maybe if Raven had stuck around..._

Growling to herself and shaking her head furiously, Jinx focused back on the task at hand. Raven was gone and that was that. Putting her attention _again_ on the building she intended to burgle, she looked over it's smooth floor to ceiling windows, the thick steel doors pulled down and magnetically locked on the ground level. She could spy a few cameras, both inside and outside, but she'd made sure beforehand that her current perch was out of sight of them.

_Guess it's the roof then? _Jinx wondered, then answered herself, _Well you could go through a window stupid, but that might be obvious!_ Grinning, she decided a little bit of magic wouldn't hurt in this case, if it wasn't used directly at the scene.

Jinx had gotten a lot better with her magic over the years, thanks in no small part to Raven and her tutoring, but also because back then it had lit a fire of interest in her, and she'd continued to study and practice even after Ravens disappearing act. That's why, when she jumped off the building, she didn't fall down but continued to jump higher and higher, as if there was something solid still under feet instead of thin air. A very low green glow could be seen under her feet each time she landed, and in no time she'd jumped, hopped and flipped herself through the sky and onto the other buildings roof.

"Presto!" she shouted, striking a pose and bowing to an invisible audience as she stepped off the ledge and walked over to the door in the center. "No cameras on the roof, they might as well be inviting people through the front door," Jinx muttered to herself. Really, if people didn't want their goods stolen, they should try harder. Slipping a small pack off her shoulders, she pulled out a small multi-tool and quickly got the cover off the electronic pad that kept the door locked. Digging through the pack again, she came out with a hand-held device with a small cable attached and plugged it into a slot on the pads circuit board. Lights flashed green across the device after several moments and Jinx heard the lock disengage, courtesy of some techno-wizardry that Gizmo had made her a while back.

Putting it back in her bag she swung the door open and started descending the stairs, whistling as she went and stopping occasionally to dart around security cameras. _Let's see, supposedly I need the twelfth floor, but you can't get to it via the main stairway or elevator_, Jinx mused to herself and glanced at the floor number she was currently passing, sixteen.

Sighing, she hurried her steps along, not wanting to take more time than necessary. She didn't think she'd tripped any alarms, but it never hurt to be careful. Skipping her way down the steps she reached the eleventh floor and brought up the building information in her head. _Were there cameras with a view of the door on this floor?_ Jinx mused. She thought there was. Shrugging, she trusted to her instincts, brought out a disc shaped smoke 'grenade' from her Satchel of Mysteries and opened to door a fraction, tossing it into the room and pulling the door shut again. She waited a few moments for it to do it's thing, fairly confident no one was actively viewing the camera feed, so she should have a little time. She'd timed this particular job so it would fall between shifts at the security office, but you just never knew with those types.

Opening the door again a fraction, she slipped through with her slim build as smoke started coming out, quickly pulling it closed behind her. Wouldn't do for it all the escape the room. She glanced around the roof - her metahuman eyes not too disadvantaged by the smoke - and sure enough, at least two cameras looked like they had a view of the door. Rolling over to one, Secret-Agent-Style, she grabbed her multi-tool again and made tiny scissors, cutting the wires coming out of the camera, then repeating it on the other one. It shouldn't be necessary, but she liked to play it safe. If someone magically showed up and let the smoke out, it'd be too late to keep her face of camera. At least she could knock out a person and make them forget about her.

Strolling casually to a metal door in one of the other walls, she quickly perused it for locks, but it seemed like just a palm and retina scanned electronic one. _Nothing Gizmo's little tool can't handle, _Jinx thought to herself and giggled, adding, _no double entendre intended._

A little disappointed she didn't need to get creative, she pulled it back out and found the appropriate slot in the lock. The lights took a bit longer to turn green this time, but they did and the door hissed open, filling her nose with the scent of - imaginary - money.

"Not long now," she crooned to herself, stepping through the door and jumping up the steps inside to the twelfth floor. This particular job was a commission, though she'd verified all the details about it beforehand, from other parties. The criminal world was a sadly a place where you couldn't trust your fellow thieves and lowlifes. Not that Jinx thought of herself as a lowlife, but they were fairly abundant in her line of work. Luckily this guy had panned out, and his money seemed good. Sure, she could've gotten more from selling this herself, but there was a lot more risk this way and taking jobs for other people helped get her more work, when they could be trusted to pay up and not set her up.

Reaching the top she took a deep breath and pushed the door there fully open, since it had already unlocked from the one below. The floor here was pressure sensitive, so it was finally time for a workout. Putting her bag down and getting rid of anything that might add some extra weight, including her magic shoes and socks, she pulled out a small USB and prepared to make her way to the tall computer banks on the opposite side of the room. The USB was given to her by contractor, supposedly to download the information he wanted from the computers here. She'd sent it over to Gizmo and had him check it out and he'd given the all clear. The amount of times Jinx had been given a faulty piece of equipment that would purposefully set of alarms, it was enough to make a girl cry.

She stretched her body and shook her hands, securing the USB in a zipped pocket, before springing into a series of blindingly fast flips and cartwheels, making bare minimum contact with the floor as she went, her meta strength, agility and reflexes in such a slight body serving her well. Almost reaching the data terminals that were her goal, she gave a final flip and twirl and stopped in midair between two of them, holding herself up with her feet pressing against one on either side. Apparently it didn't matter which one she plugged into so, legs tense and keeping her aloft, she reached over and opened a glass panel on the one to her left. She unzipped her pocket, grabbed the USB and flicked it open, trying to insert into the terminal. Jinx growled when it wouldn't fit, before flipping it over and trying again. Bingo!

"God damn computers," she muttered to herself, "USB's can never bloody fit on the first go, can they." Still, information theft was one of the biggest for profits lately and it was certainly a lot easier to carry around then sacks of gems, jewelery or money. Even if those particular things attracted her eye much more. _Maybe my next job I can do some gemstone liberation,_ she wistfully thought as she watched the light on the end of the stick blink red at her.

Crossing her arms and tapping a finger she waited for it to change to green, not the least bit uncomfortable in her current position. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the light changed to green and she was good to go. Pulling it out - "The drive may now safely be removed~" she sing-songed - Jinx put it back in her pocket, zipped it up and lightly kicked off the data banks, giving a repeat performance of her acrobatic skills across the floor and to the door. Pulling the door closed, she sat on a step as she put her socks and magic shoes back on, grabbed her bag and cartwheeled down the stairs.

She quickly exited the building the same way she entered it, closing doors that locked behind her as she went and retrieving her spent gas cylinder. She got back to the roof and was just dancing her way between buildings when she heard the alarm go off behind her and steel shutters slammed down behind the glass windows.

Jinx laughed as she reached her original building, quickly making her way down an emergency fire escape to the ground and setting off at a jog down back streets, away from the scene of her crime.

* * *

Jinx finally reached her reached her apartment building as the suns rays just started peeking over the horizon. She couldn't wait to get inside and collapse into bed, the night having exhausted her. It wasn't so much the robbery, that had been easy money, but apart from that she'd kept finding her thoughts drifting to Raven and the time they'd spent together all those years ago, still clear in her memory.

And then there was the magic she'd felt briefly early in the night as well as the rapid bursts of powerful energy from somewhere in the city as she made her way home after a job well done. They worried her - they'd packed quite a punch - but mostly they'd also brought Raven to mind for some reason. _It's been happening a lot lately... _Jinx thought. Not the magic, but Raven.

Sighing, she got to her door and unlocked it. She'd send a message to her client, saying she had the goods, grab a shower and then have a glorious sleep. Stepping inside, she was greeted with a meow from her pet cat, Athasia, a white Birman that had found it's way into her place and then never left. She smiled and bent down to scratch her behind the ears with an "Hello to you too," before moving into her small apartment and putting her bag on the coffee table, the USB inside. Jinx sat down on her couch and pulled her laptop across to her as Athasia jumped onto her lap, butting her head against her arm before turning around and curling up, purring.

"Don't get too comfortable, you," Jinx laughed as her laptop booted up and she put her password in and scanned her thumb. Her last session opened up and she noticed she had a new message in her secured mailbox. Looked like her client was eager to get his hands on his goods. She typed up a quick reply, telling him she'd gotten it with no trouble and setting up a drop for a couple of days later, sending it and closing the laptop again. Looking down at the cat in her lap, she lifted it up and placed it on the cushion beside her and stood up. Athasia jumped off the couch and gave her 'The Look', before flouncing into the bedroom.

"I told her not to get comfortable," Jinx muttered, shrugging and stripping off as she headed to her bathroom. One of the perks of living by oneself; not having to worry about people copping an eyeful. And then a fist to said eye. Smiling at that image, the now naked Jinx turned on the shower, hot, and jumped in.

Sighing as she stood under the hot water, she put her head down and let it just wash over her, relaxing her muscles. Nothing like a hot shower after a hard days honest work. Or a nights dishonest work, in this case. She felt her anxieties about Raven and the magic from the night ease as she slowly washed her pink, just-past-shoulder length hair. She hadn't changed the colour in all these years, but she _had_ stopped putting it into horns, they were just too distinctive. Not that hair her particular pink wasn't, but most people just shrugged it off. Weird was everywhere in this city, especially lately. She'd heard someone had risen from the dead the other week? She didn't put much stock in that though, but there were a lot of odd stories going around these days.

She rinsed her hair out and grabbed her soap and sponge, washing her body as she thought about those stories. She'd been hearing them from places further away than Jump too, Jinx recalled. Apparently there'd been a case of spontaneous combustion in a wide area in Steel City. And then the entire building turning to stone in Gotham, what, 7 months ago? Plenty of other smaller things too, but that larger ones really stood out. Apparently no one knew quite what had caused any of the incidents either, which she felt was either strange, or just proof that it was all some kind of hoax. Not that she didn't believe that stuff couldn't happen; with the amount of near gods roaming the galaxy and even this planet, it was more than possible. But the larger scale stuff was still big magic - if it was magic - and Jinx couldn't believe she wouldn't have felt something, even from that distance. Not to mention the ones supposedly happening in Jump.

Dismissing such thoughts, Jinx finished her shower and got out, turning the water off and grabbing a pink, fluffy towel to dry off. Shimmying into the flannel pajamas she'd gotten out, she exited the bathroom and headed across the living room to her bedroom, intent on a good nights - or mornings - sleep. Jinx entered her bedroom and froze, feeling something was out of place.

She stayed in her doorway as she looked about the room, trying to spot anything out of place. At least it didn't look like anyone was hiding in here. She _had_ put a view avoidance charms up around her place, but it wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility. Frowning, she slowly scanned the room again from top to bottom, when she noticed it. On the small table next to her bed rested a book, where she hadn't left one when she'd left. Looking over to her bookshelf covering half of the left wall, she noticed an empty spot.

_So, it's one of mine. But why move a book? It doesn't look like anything else has been touched_, Jinx thought as she slowly walked further into her room, tense and ready, in case something or someone jumped out at her. Something brushed against her legs and she nearly hit the roof, but it was her just Athasia, scaring her to within an inch of her life. "Beast," she muttered, hand on her chest, getting a meow in return. Deciding there was nothing wrong if her cat wasn't freaking out, Jinx decided to just make her way over to her bed and figure out what was going on. When she got closer she noticed a detail she'd missed from the door; a dark feather resting next to the book. She picked it up and twirled it, watching the hints of blue as the light caught it in a certain way. Frowning, she looked down at the book and noticed the title for the first time too, causing her to nearly drop the feather in shock. It was her copy of Edgar Allan Poe. And the feather...disturbed, she put the book back, with the feather in the cover and decided she needed sleep. She was imagining things, that's all.

She got into bed and her cat jumped up to sleep with her, a small bundle of warmth at her midsection. Jinx drifted off to sleep surprisingly easily, considering what she'd just found next to her bed. _Must be more tired than I thought,_ she yawned.

That night Jinx dreamed of black feathers falling around her and a voice calling to her for help from far away.

* * *

**A/N: Welp, there you go, probably not a _whole_ lot that happened to really move the story along, but I'm mostly pleased with it still. And Slade, what are you up to, sneaking about alone in the dark, watching people. I see you, crafty bastard.**

**Also, I wanted to mention how troubling it is that the longest part of typing this was deciding what kind of cat Jinx would have. But then I realized...cats *worship***


	4. Chapter 3 - Stirring

**A/N: So, first off thank you to the reviewers and the people who favorited/followed/read this far, it's much appreciated and i hope your enjoying. It felt like this chapter took forever, damn it was hard to keep writing. Buuut my weekend is over now, so I might not get much out for a little and figured I should power through this and upload it. Let me know if it's shit. Also any mistakes or word omissions, I've noticed I do that a bit in the original files. I catch most if I read through before I upload, but last chapter I didn't and I still might miss some.  
**

**I should note, that generally speaking the information you hear when I'm doing the Titans point of view might not be accurate in regards to Raven and such, since they'll either be A) biased or B) not fully informed.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Stirring**

Nightwing collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table in Titans Tower with a sigh, rubbing his temples and wishing he had the energy to make a coffee. Or maybe that one would magic it's way in front of him. It was just reaching the middle of the day, but Nightwing wished it would be over already. He'd already been awake for too long on too little sleep, then Raven's breakout - or bust out, he supposed - and his subsequent search of the city with his team, splitting up to cover a larger area had made the morning drag. They were still patrolling their sections now, but they were due back shortly for a proper briefing on what had happened that morning. As if Nightwing's current troubles weren't enough, he'd had various police and government agencies calling him all morning and asking for his assistance; 'Someone broke into a secure facility and stole important information!'  
'A husband went insane and murdered his family and neighbor with a steak knife!'  
'A dingo stole my baby!'

He'd hung up on that last one, disgusted, but the other two and the numerous other calls he'd received had all gotten the same response: "If it's not clearly a Meta or Magic incident, I can't help you right now, sorry." They hadn't been able to give him enough proof of such involvement to convince him to assist them and they hadn't been happy, but he had bigger issues to deal with right now, so he'd shrugged it off and kept on searching for Raven and her rescuer.

Deciding he had enough energy to make a coffee after all, Nightwing got up and turned on the kettle, which still had water in it from whoever used it last. Grabbing a cup, he put in some instant coffee and sugar then leaned against the counter while the kettle boiled. _Think I'll skip the milk this time, black's more the mood of the day,_ he thought to himself darkly.

The click of the kettle brought him out of his musings at the same time as the elevator opened to announce the arrival of one of his team mates. Turning to sort out his drink, he waited for whoever arrived back first to enter the kitchen.

"Phew, man, I don't ever wanna smell a sewer again!" Beast Boy - known as Changeling these days - exclaimed as he walked in from the living area.

"Clearly you can't smell yourself then," Nightwing told him with a tired smile as he turned to face his team mate, drink raised to his face to cover the smell. That earned him a little bit of an outraged look, since it was Nightwing who'd asked Changeling to scout out the sewer system in the first place. He put his hands up in apology before his friend could say anything, careful not to spill anything. "I know, I know, I didn't mean anything by it. It's been a long day and it's not over yet. The others shouldn't be too far behind, why don't you grab a shower and change before the meeting," he suggested.

"Sure man, I saw Starfire and Terra flying back in, they should be coming down from the roof soon," Changeling said, shrugging off Nightwing's previous comment. The news Nightwing had woken the team with hadn't sat well with anyone, Changeling least of all. _Why is it chicks I have a crush on always seem to betray the team or have something happen to them,_ he thought with a sigh as he left the kitchen and headed to his room. Still, he was glad to have Terra back on the team, he reflected, even if she didn't have all her memories.

Nightwing watched his green team mate leave and shook his head, sighing. He knew this situation would bring back some bad memories, but hopefully everyone - especially Changeling - could put the past behind them. Raven aside, having a probable demon in the city meant they couldn't afford to go into this distracted. _Especially one capable of getting past Zatanna's magic,_ Nightwing thought. Adding Raven into the mix with this new threat wasn't looking like a good scenario for anyone.

About 10 minutes later, and halfway through his coffee, the remaining members of his team reached that floor, Terra and Starfire coming down from the roof and Cyborg coming up from the garage. "Welcome back guys, Changeling said you weren't far" Nightwing greeted them as they filed in. Starfire floated over and hugged him, giving him a kiss - she'd managed a few years ago to stop her bone crushing hugs, except when she was overly excited, much to the relief of everyone who knew her. "Yes, we have returned safely from our search!" she told him happily.

"Oh, so the green bean's back as well? He got done pretty quick," Cyborg said, sitting at the table and raising an eyebrow at the two lovebirds. They'd been a couple for a long time now, but they usually kept any obvious signs for when there wasn't anything serious going on. _Guess she needs some comfort_, Cyborg mused to himself, thinking they could probably all use some, even if it wasn't obvious.

Ignoring Cyborg's look, he returned Starfire's hug and then nodded his head at the half-man's statement. "Yeah, he came in not too long ago, smelling like roses, so he's cleaning up and changing before the meeting," Nightwing explained for the benefit of Terra, who hadn't said anything yet and was looking around for said green team mate. A light of comprehension filled her eyes as she nodded in understanding.

"So when is this meeting anyway?" Terra finally asked, speaking up for the first time since she entered the room.

"Indeed, I am most anxious to hear what transpired this morning," Starfire chimed in. "Your alert was most vague on the details, simply saying to search the city for Raven and a horned man."

Nightwing finished off his nearly empty coffee in one go and put the cup in the sink then turned to his friends and team mates and said, "Let's head to the briefing room and I'll explain what I know. Changeling shouldn't be too far behind, if you want to go let him know to meet us there Terra," Nightwing suggested. She nodded and headed off towards his room while the other three entered an adjacent room from the living room.

Reaching Changeling's door, Terra knocked loudly and waited for a response. Not hearing anything, she frowned and tried again. _Maybe he was still in the shower?_ she thought. His door wasn't locked, so shrugging, she opened it. And found Changeling sitting on the edge of his bed, no shirt on and hair wet as he covered his face with his hands. Her heart clenched at the sight.

He'd gone straight to the showers after leaving Nightwing to his caffeine, ripped off his pungent uniform and barely stopped himself from just burning it, before throwing it in a washing machine, then jumping in a shower to scour off a couple of hours of wandering the sewers in dog form. He was pretty sure his nose wouldn't be able to smell anything ever again. He'd soaked for as long as he could, mind blank, but aware they had a meeting soon. Far too soon, he'd gotten out and headed to his room for a change of uniform. He'd gotten as far as putting some spare uniform pants on before the emotions he'd been holding back since that morning had gotten the better of him and he'd had to sit down.

It had been a long time since he'd thought of Raven - to be honest, he knew he actively avoided thinking about it. Not only had she been a good friend and a member of the Titan family, but he'd had stronger feelings towards her for a while by then, after the incident with Terra and helping her with her father. He'd seen other sides of her that she'd kept hidden until then, thinking she'd die on the day of the Prophecy. _Why'd it have to be this way Raven,_ he asked himself. Ten years had passed, but the emotional wounds of fighting someone he thought he might have loved and putting them behind bars hadn't healed.

"Oh Garfield," Terra whispered, using his real name as she approached him. She didn't have any of her memories from when she was the old Terra, so she didn't remember what had happened between them, or herself and any of the other Titans. But she'd heard that she and Beast Boy, at the time, had been pretty close and that he'd also been close to Raven over the years. They'd been reluctant to talk about Raven much when she'd decided to join their team again as a new person, with a fresh slate, but Nightwing had given her some details; about her demonic heritage and how her powers were tied to her emotions, how during the Brotherhood of Evil incidents she'd started to act strange and a little furtive, then afterwards being discovered hanging out with criminals and acting erratically, and their need to stop her before she went out of control and put the world in danger.

It had been a year or two after Raven and the Titans had fought when she joined, but she'd heard the pain in Nightwing's voice at the time, controlled, as he related the various incidents to her, alone, and asked that she not bring it up with the others if she could help it. No one had taken it well, losing a best friend, a sister, a crush or a respected peer.

She reached Garfield and placed a hand on his shoulder as he sat there, startling him from his thoughts. He looked up with a pained expression and saw it was Terra - he'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her knock, or open the door or say his name. His eyes were a little watery as he covered her hand with his and looked up at her, trying to force a smile as he said, "Oh, Terra, you're back."

"Yeah," she nodded, "Star and I got back at the same time and apparently Cyborg did too." Terra watched him in concern as he blinked the tears from his eyes and resolutely stood up, pushing his emotions down and grabbing the top for his uniform.

"I guess that means the meeting's on then," he said to her, slipping his shirt on and asking, "Briefing room?"

Terra nodded with a, "Yeah, Nightwing asked me to let you know," but seemed to hesitate about something. Changeling stopped at his door and looked back at her questioningly. "Are you doing alright with this Raven thing?" she finally asked, wincing slightly at the straightforward question. But she didn't know how else to ask.

He didn't answer straight away, trying to frame a response. It's not like it didn't hurt, a lot, but..."I wouldn't say I'm doing alright," he told Terra slowly. "I hate what we did to Raven, and honestly, a part of me is glad she's free now, but..." he squared his shoulders and voiced his thoughts, "but if she's really gone off the deep end for good, it's my duty as a hero to stop her and protect innocents."

Terra slowly nodded her head, but she was sure there were things he'd left unsaid. Still, she didn't want to pry, especially now, and they did have a meeting to get to. "Let's go then," she said to Changeling, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of his room.

* * *

The briefing room was a medium sized, square room off the side of the lounge and kitchen and it was dominated almost entirely by a large round table, which Nightwing, Starfire and Cyborg were sitting around when Terra and Changeling showed up. In the middle of the table was a holographic projector, and at each seat there was a terminal and smaller screen where anyone could bring up the information being displayed, or send their own. The three Titans already there were talking quietly amongst themselves as the last two arrivals took their seats.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, I'll go over what I know about the events that transpired early this morning," Nightwing said once Terra and Changeling had gotten comfortable.

"Yeah man, all you said when you woke us up was that some dude had busted Raven out and that we needed to go look for 'em," Cyborg said. Nightwing nodded, confirming this.

"Sorry, I would've given you all more information, but I was hoping that the quicker we got out, the more chance we'd have of catching them," he explained. "And to be honest, I don't know too much about what's going on myself. Before I get to that though, I'm going to assume no one found anything on their searches?"

Starfire replied first, shaking her head, "No, I am sorry friend Nightwing. Of Raven and this mysterious man, there was no sign. I halted some minor robberies as I searched, but all seemed fine in the city."

"Didn't pick up a thing from the T-Car man," Cyborg reported after Starfire, "was using the magic sensors, the biometric sensors, everything I could think of. Must need a calibration or somethin' though, the magic sensor was going off at the drop of a hat, city wide." He started muttering to himself about 'unreliable magic' and 'straight technology any day'. Considering the increase of magic incidents around the globe though, the news was another worry for Nightwing, though he didn't say anything to Cyborg yet. Not a lot of people knew about those, so he'd get him alone later and discuss it then.

"Sewers were the same as always dude, full of rats and not much else," Changeling told him, with a quiet 'besides the usual human waste' to himself. It definitely hadn't been a fun excursion, though at least he didn't have to deal with petty criminals or traffic like the other two.

Nightwing frowned, thinking, _So it seems like no one's seen them. Hopefully they're still in the city, or things could get tricky._ Turning to the final member of his team, he said, "What about you Terra?"

"Same as Starfire, nothing really out of place. Didn't see anyone that looked like the pictures of Raven I've seen, or the vague description of the guy you gave us," Terra told him flatly. She wasn't much of a morning person, so getting woken up so early for a fruitless hunt hadn't really endeared Nightwing to her for the day. _And what was up with 'on the lookout for a horned individual'? Couldn't he be more specific?_

Nightwing and most of the others were surprised for a second. It was easy to forget that Terra didn't have any memories of her past and so didn't remember what Raven looked like in person, only from the news and Titan records. She could act so much like her old self at times that it was hard to remember she'd been turned to stone for a while, then been freed with amnesia. _Still,_ Nightwing mused, _she's had a fair few years to get used to the team and how to interact with us, so it's only natural._

"Alright, well it's disappointing, but I didn't come up with anything either," he told them. "The police constantly asking for assistance didn't really help either, but it sounded mostly like normal crimes so I left it to them."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at that. "That seems a bit unusual, they don't normally bother us with mundane stuff like that. It's what the government pays them to do, after all. Think something's up with it?" he asked Nightwing.

"The thought crossed my mind, but really, right now there's bigger concerns. I'll bring it up with the commissioner later and get all the details to go over, see if there's a pattern, but Raven should be our focus right now," he told Cyborg, who shrugged in return and replied with a, "Your call man."

"Good. That brings us to the main reason for this meeting." So saying, he pulled out his mask from that morning, having changed to another since then, and placed it on a special holder connected to the computer at his seat. His hands flew across the keyboard as he uploaded video from his mask to the projector in the center of the table, an image appearing above it of the door leading to Ravens 'cell' just before he'd gone through it. He paused there and addressed his team, telling them about the events leading up that point.

"So, at approximately 3AM this morning, Zatanna sensed a disturbance in the magic surrounding Ravens cell and contacted me shortly after to go there and investigate, as she was - _is_ - currently occupied with a League mission," he told his team, noticing their attention on the image being projected and the swirling magical symbols and letters displayed there, having not seen them before. "Zatanna's work," he explained, gesturing to it.

"Anyway, I checked up on Raven remotely, but nothing seemed off. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, I had Zatanna send me to the entrance magically, which is about when things started, not even an hour after being woken up," he finished up, hitting play on the projection.

The rest of the Titans watched tensely as he ran towards the wall and it's glowing magic, which opened as he approached, then let out a collective gasp as he passed through and into where Raven had been held, seeing the ruined room and the figures in the middle. He paused again so they could get a good look at the new face, though he had a feeling they'd see it up close and personal some time soon.

"Duuuude, that guy's naked!" Changeling yelled, panicking a little. "Don't we have like, a censor bar on this thing or something!?" Nightwing sighed at his antics and fiddled with his keyboard a little, blurring out the mans waist. "Happy?" he asked, getting a relieved sigh in return.

Ignoring the blushes on the two girls and the still slightly flustered Changeling, Nightwing set the video to slow motion and pointed things out as the video continued. "So, as you can see, whoever it is has clearly had their fair share of fights, judging by the scars covering him."

"Man, are you sure all of those are from fights?" Cyborg asked, mechanical eye zooming in and out, analyzing. "A lot of those don't like any battle wounds I'm familiar with," he continued, being the resident 'doctor' in the house, when things weren't life-threatening.

Nightwing frowned and looked at the man again. Cyborg was right, though he hadn't noticed at the time. In particular there were long, thin, precisely straight scars running the length of his body, though marred with more familiar ones typical of puncture wounds or long tearing, especially along the arms. "Curious," Nightwing said, "though not immediately relevant. Might help us track him down, or find out where he came from though, some of them look quite distinctive."

"I see what you meant about the horns," Terra cut in as the man on the screen continued to turn in slow motion. "He'd certainly be hard to miss in a crowd," she continued, noting the glowing eyes as well.

"The glowing eyes and the horns, then he is a demon, yes?" Starfire asked, "Like Raven?"

"Not necessarily, and Raven's only half-demon," Nightwing answered her, "but it's highly likely, considering the circumstances. Still, I'll be going over this again with Zatanna when she gets here in a couple of days and she should be able to say for sure, and help track them down."

"Speaking of Raven," Changeling spoke up slowly, "doesn't she seem, like...really wasted?" Everyone could hear the concern in his voice, as he asked another question, "What kind of place were you keeping her in?"

They couldn't see much of the room, for which Nightwing was grateful. He'd been focused entirely on the two in the center of it at the time and it was pretty ruined when he'd arrived, so all they could see was the aftermath. He'd debated long and hard all those years ago about whether or not to include everyone in the plans for Raven's cell, but ultimately decided against it. They had a right to know, but he thought it would be too much for them to handle, that they'd want to move her to a more normal cell or jail. He'd known such a place couldn't really hold Raven, so he'd kept the details from his team and shouldered the guilt by himself, though by necessity Zatanna knew all about it all as well. He knew what Raven would say about _that_ though. Those two had always been at each others throats.

He avoided the question as much as he could, though he could feel Cyborg's suspicious eyes on him as he answered Changeling, "It was a secured facility, underground, with some cameras and Zatanna's magic to keep intruders out and magic from functioning. Well, _supposed_ to be secured," he amended. Another reason for keeping everything absolutely secret had been to keep the location from getting out. The less that knew, the less risk there was.

The others frowned, but didn't say anything as the video switched back to normal speed and they heard his conversation with the man.

"Why did his speech change?" Terra asked suddenly. She'd noticed that his diction had improved suddenly when it's eyes glowed brighter. "And what's he mean by indirectly helping us?" Nightwing had wondered about that himself, but hadn't been able to come up with any plausible answers - to either question - so he just shook his head.

"Mortals...So does that mean he _is_ a demon?" Cyborg spoke up, before answering himself in a mutter, "Though, it's not like there's not a decent list of beings that think of us that way."

The video played itself through to them disappearing then stopped, and Starfire raised a hand. "What does he mean about the Heaven falling? Is it not a place that does not have a physical existence?" The others were curious too, it was a strange statement, though they understood he might not literally mean Heaven, unlike Starfire.

Nightwing explained it to her, though he didn't have a proper answer, "He might have been using it as a word for the sky Star, but no, I don't know what he actually means. I don't like it though, and his implication that Raven might be instrumental in something to come." He didn't voice the other implication that she either wouldn't help, or would be coming after them. But then, it was pretty obvious.

* * *

_Raven was falling, falling endlessly in a great void. It felt like she'd been falling forever, since the start of time, though she knew it was a false impression. There was nothing around her, just Raven and the darkness._ _**How did I get here? Where IS here? **__she wondered, having no memory of how she came to be there. Without warning, there was a change in her environment. It was indefinable at first, but gradually she noticed something below, things that sparkled and threw off light in this lightless realm, rushing up to meet her. Or was it herself plummeting down to meet them? Did it even make a difference in this place?_

_She fell amongst the objects that shone with a mysterious inner light, a light that shone outwards and reflected off other versions of itself. She was falling through mirror shards, she realized, millions of them of varying shapes and sizes, and they filled her vision now, blocking out the darkness. They didn't reflect like a normal mirror though. The glimpses Raven got as she passed various pieces were of her own life and left her dizzy; she saw memories of her times on Azerath, training with the monks, putting her emotions in check. Her first meeting with her father in Limbo after Azar's death. Leaving Azerath to travel to earth, meeting up with the people she would later form the Titans with, and the various battles and trials she'd overcome with them. _

_The memories didn't seem to be in any particular order; she noticed one of her defeating Trigon on earth, right next to getting kicked out of the Tower by the HIVE. Slade falling into molten rock when Terra turned on him, then a glimpse of her demonic side rearing it's head at Dr. Light. Malchior deceiving her into thinking he loved her, tricking her into freeing him from his prison, and then a glimpse of her and...Jinx? That memory seemed fogged over somehow._

_It felt like Raven was falling faster now, but she reached out and tried to wipe the fog away from that last memory, of the mirror shard showing herself and Jinx, and it exploded into slivers of glowing silver that pierced her flesh before she could touch it. Around her, quicker and quicker, mirrors shattered one by one, until she was pierced all over by thin, silver filaments. She didn't feel any pain from it, and looking down there wasn't any blood. Raven moved a hand, the first time she could remember moving a limb since she'd been here. She slowly reached up and tried to pull a thicker sliver from her chest, but as soon as her fingers touched it, blinding white pain crackled through her head and she let out a pained cry._

Suddenly, she was jerking awake in what felt like a bed, muscles screaming a protest at the sudden movement, as she tried to sit up and failed. _Why am in so much pain, _Raven moaned as she curled back into the fetal position she'd started in, something light covering her. She couldn't see for some reason, her eyelids felt like they had steel weights attached to them. Still in pain from her involuntary movement earlier, she was reluctant to try sitting up again, so with an effort of will, she tried forcing her eyelids open so she could try and discover where she was. Everything was just too confusing, the last thing she remembered clearly was heading off to help Beast Boy save the Doom Patrol from the Brotherhood of Evil. There were flashes after that, but mostly she just remembered the blackness, then waking up - naked, she might add - wherever she currently was. _What happened to me? Why can't I...remember anything,_ Raven thought, frustrated, as she finally got her eyes open and took her first, blurry look around where she was.

The first thing Raven noticed were the racks of food and bottled water directly in her field of vision, on the other side of a plain bed, probably twin to the one she was lying on. Squinting through the gaps between the various food packs, she could just make out a metal wall not too far beyond it. And what looked like a large pile of dirt in a corner? What kind of place had she ended up in? _It isn't very homey, that's for sure,_ Raven thought as she sent her gaze as far she could without moving her head. Plain metal walls, floor and ceiling. Simple beds that fulfilled their function and that was it. Plain food and water that would last a while and keep someone alive. She could also spot the edges of a door on that far wall, but it was closed at the moment so she couldn't see what was on the other side.

Bracing herself for pain, Raven slowly shifted her head to try and see the rest of the room - frowning, she felt like her hair had grown longer, even more so than when it had grown out during the time of the Prophecy. Ignoring her hair for now, she inhaled sharply at the pain of stretching long disused muscles, but it was bearable this time, by limiting the movement to a small part of her body. She could feel her healing powers as a trickle throughout her whole body, clearly having exhausted themselves already from healing some kind of major injuries, even if she couldn't remember having any. She'd heal quicker if she slept, but Raven couldn't bring herself to give into a healing sleep until she knew more about her current situation. She finally moved her head enough to get a view of the rest of the room, her eyes passing over a giant circular door on her way, when she froze solid in shock. Past the foot of the bed she was on, sitting in a chair at a book covered table in that corner, someone sat, reading. And she hadn't sensed them!

_I know my powers are depleted, probably used up in the healing, but even so!_ Raven thought, panicked. Even with her powers spent, she knew she should have been able to recognize that another person was in the same room as her, less than three feet away even! But there was nothing, her dulled senses told her no one else was in the room, when clearly there was, as evidenced by the figure turning a page. She didn't _think_ they were a figment of her imagination.

The person in the chair suddenly turned to face her in surprise and Raven could see that it was a he. And that they also weren't human, at least not completely, if the horns and golden eyes were any indication. She tried to shout, but no sound came out. She tried to use her powers, but she was empty. She tried to move, but her limbs locked up.

When Ja'Riha felt movement behind him, he turned away from his book - a basic book on physics, though he couldn't understand much in it, but human science and technology fascinated him - and noticed that Raven had woken up. She was panicked too, though Ja'Riha wasn't too surprised at that. He didn't know what she remembered, but she was probably disoriented and waking up in a place she didn't know with a strange half-demon likely wasn't reassuring. Quickly putting his book down he rose from his chair, careful of the broken arm, and raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture as he addressed Raven.

"Woah, easy there miss! The name's Ja'Riha, an' I don' mean no harm," he tried to sooth her. Either he was successful, or she was too tired and hurt to put much energy into freaking out or fighting. Ja'Riha was willing to bet it was the latter, he definitely didn't look or sound like a very soothing person. Raven glared at him and opened her mouth, trying to speak, but nothing came out again.

"Don' try to speak, or anything else fer that matter," he told her, turning his chair to face the bed and sitting down again. "Ya prob'ly noticed, but yer bodies still tryin' ta heal itself. I'm impressed yer awake so early, ta be honest, it's only been maybe half a day," he truly was impressed, but he guessed she'd worked whatever drug they'd used out of her system first so she could evaluate her situation.

Raven flicked her eyes back and forth between Ja'Riha and parts of the room, trying to ask questions without using her voice. He seemed to understand her though, since he asked a question for her and then answered. "Where are ya? Well," he said, scratching his head, "I guess ye'd call it a hideout of sorts. Got some pretty basic magic ta ward people away an' stop 'em popping in when they feel like it. Yer still in Jump though, if that's what worries ya," he reassured Raven. "I ain't been anywhere else but Jump since I came to Earth, actually," Ja'Riha confessed, touching his non-broken horn like she hadn't already noticed it.

Seeing her eyes flick from his horns - or horn and a half - back to his eyes in another silent question, Ja'Riha said, "If ya were a hundred percent, ye'd prob'ly be able ta tell, but I'm half-demon, like ye." Raven widened her eyes at that and tried to move again, only to close her eyes against the pain.

"Hey now, don' be like that, I already told ye I won't hurt ya," he growled at her. "An' didn't I rescue ya from a pretty bad situation? I coulda just left ya in that cage, or done somethin' to ya between now and then. Ye should trust yer instincts."

_Cage?_ Raven thought. She had no idea what he was talking about, but if it was true- no, even if it wasn't true, he'd clearly been there for a while and a quick check confirmed that none of her injuries were external. Actually, now that she paid attention, Raven noticed that she was mostly suffering from severe muscle atrophy and loss of bone mass. She was basically skin and bones at this point too, bordering on malnutrition. _Something like this doesn't happen in a short time,_ she frowned, _especially when my natural healing and physiology are thrown into the mix_. Had she been _here_ this entire time...? But like Ja'Riha had said, something inside Raven told her that she could, if not trust, then at least believe what he said.

Giving Ja'Riha one last glare, a warning, Raven closed her eyes and gave into sleep, letting her body and powers get to work on fixing her. She still had questions - mostly about what had happened to her, where were her friends - but she could sort all of this out when she was in better condition or when her team found her, Raven reasoned. She couldn't do anything right now except get better anyway. And if he turned out to be lying or untrustworthy, she'd just have to take him down then.

Watching Raven slip into a proper, non-induced sleep for probably the first time in years, Ja'Riha sighed and leaned back in his chair. _That went alright,_ he thought to himself. Not that she could really do much in her condition, but if she'd thought he was an honest threat, she probably would have kept trying to get up and fight or get away, and just made herself worse off. Things would be tricky when Raven was up for real though, he was sure. _Demons weren't to be trusted, after all_, he thought with a bitter smile.

* * *

**A/N: It might not have been obvious, and it'll get explained in detail later down the track, when she's getting her memories back, but it mostly starts from after the end of season 4 in the TV show and early in season 5, which i'm changing up a little bit.  
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**If anyone's confused by anything, drop me a PM or leave it in a review and I'll try and answer. Either I'm not explaining myself as well as I think, or it's something that will be explored later on, but it never hurts to ask.**

**Next thing I write should be a chapter for my other story, but I should hopefully be back to this soon.**


	5. Chapter 4 - Bizaar

**A/N: So I finished the first section of this chapter, the first Ja'Riha part, and was like "Wow, this is practically 4k words already, should I just upload this as a chapter?" but no, I'm trying to move away from worrying about chapter length (or not being long enough), so I decided to put in what I had originally planned, until I reached a good point to end the chapter. Plus all of this is more or less during the same day, so it seems easier if I keep it all in a single chapter.**

**Even though I said all that, this isn't actually the complete chapter I had in my head, whoops. I don't really have anything against super large chapter, but I think that it makes people feel like there's more of a break between reading, so they don't get bored reading 20k words in one go. But maybe it's just me.**

**I'm also aware that this isn't the correct spelling of bizarre, but it should make sense as you read the first part. Hopefully. Maybe. Also, it feels like forever, since I uploaded, so apologies for that. Some of you are reading my other stuff, which is partly the reason, plus I was a little stuck on where to go for this chapter (and the next which is basically just a continuation of this one) until recently. Anyway, thank you to all you reviewers and readers, hope you enjoy this and don't have to wait too long for me to do the next part!**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Bizaar**

Ja'Riha looked down at Raven's slightly tossing form - _P__lagued by nightmares, no doubt_,he thought - purple hair splayed over the pillows, and growled with frustration, wishing he could help her recover quicker. Assuming she would have let him, of course. It had been about a day since she stirred from sleep that first time, but so far there had been nothing else except her tossing and turning, and crying out once during the night. That had had him jumping from his chair in surprise, half expecting some kind of attack.

Sighing, he turned away from her restless form and walked around behind the shelves next to the beds, bending down next to some inconspicuous cardboard boxes on the lowest rack near the wall. He pulled one of them out and then opened it, rummaging around inside before pulling out a small, intricately carved wooden box, handling it gently. The box was made from a single Ash tree and the carvings were actually magical protections and bindings. It, like some of its counterparts he had hidden elsewhere, were some of the first things he'd acquired when he'd come to the human realm and their magic was specifically tuned to his life force - if anyone other than him tried to open them, the protections would fail and they would be driven mad almost instantly, with some few exceptions. Sliding the top open, Ja'Riha behold what was, essentially, the work of a lifetime - ten large, silver coins, slightly smaller than the palm of his hand. On one side stood the imprint of a single flame and on the other, double gates that were chained shut. Not much to look at from a normal perspective, but in the magic and demon circles, these ten coins alone made him the equivalent of a millionaire. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, he loathed the sight of them. But they were a necessity.

Sliding the lid closed again, he shut his eyes as memories of blood and fire filled his mind and the sound of past screams filled his ears, the feeling of flesh and the stickiness of blood replacing the feel of wood beneath his hands. He'd payed dearly for these coins and the others like them he'd spread around. He only hoped it would be worth the cost in the end - no, he had to _make_ it worth the cost. He opened his eyes and stood up, box in hand, and made his way to the table he'd spent the last day and a half at. He grabbed a plain backpack from underneath, a few select items already inside in case of emergencies, unzipped the top and lightly placed his small fortune inside before closing it up again and swinging it over his left shoulder. He was dressed for an excursion outside, in faded out jeans, a long sleeved shirt covered in a baggy hoody, comfortable sneakers on his feet and a beanie on his head with dark glasses perched atop it. Overall, perhaps a bit suspicious looking for a mild Summer day, but it shouldn't take long to get to where he needed to go, and there it wouldn't raise much of an eyebrow.

He looked at Raven again as he headed to the 'door'. He hated to leave her in such a vulnerable state, even for the hopefully short amount of time he would be gone, but he had a debt to pay, thus the coins, and he also wanted to see what kind of rumors were floating around on the streets. _Well, if anythin' happens I should be able ta get back 'ere quick enough,_ Ja'Riha thought as he bid Raven a silent farewell, promising to be back as soon as he could. He then continued to make his way silently across the room and to the stairs leading up, before stopping at the slab of cement that was his door. Before he opened it, he sent his senses out to the other side, making sure there was no one lurking about. He'd never used this hide-out much after he'd first outfitted it and that had been years ago, so he wasn't sure how the habits of the people and workers in the area might have changed. Either way, it seemed no one was close by, so he drew the opening rune in the center and quickly ducked out when it had risen high enough to allow him to do so.

Sensing the door reverse it's upward motion once he was out, he quickly strode to the entrance of the dead-end he was standing in and poked his head out into the main path, after putting his sunglasses on and pulling his hood up over his head. Though he hadn't sensed anyone nearby, he hadn't gotten this far in his life by being careless, and seeing a suspiciously dressed stranger to the area walk out of a dead-end behind buildings would surely spark people's interest if they saw it. Interest was something he would like to avoid for as long as possible, if he could. The way was clear, so he made sure his hood and beanie were covering his horns properly, then stepped out onto the path and made his way away from the docks and warehouses as casually as he could, one hand in a pocket and the other holding the straps of his backpack.

His destination was an enclosed Bazaar just off the middle of the city, about a fifteen to twenty minute walk from where he currently was, if he used some shortcuts. Mostly the place was for local or small and obscure businesses, who couldn't get into the larger shopping centers around Jump, or for some reason if they just didn't want to. The prices were a lot more affordable to most people and the atmosphere was light and jovial, so it was a great place to just hang out and relax, listening to people barter light heartedly, some of the sellers crying out their wares, to just wander and browse without worry. Unfortunately, his trip today would be anything but relaxing. While the Bazaar _was_ his destination, it was a specific section of it that he needed to visit, a bazaar within a bazaar. Officially it didn't have a name, but some of the regulars jokingly called it the Bizaar, a play on words that got older every time he heard it.

Before Ja'Riha knew it, he started entering more populated streets and some heavy traffic on the roads, as opposed to the few people he'd passed coming out of the Docks. Keeping his head down and his ears open, he started listening in for anything that might be of interest, or just in case people started calling the police on him. It had happened once or twice before, to his great annoyance. Crossing busy streets with the rest of the people going about their daily lives, he heard nothing of real interest; 'So-and-so was getting a divorce', 'How happy you must be about your promotion!', 'Isn't crime picking up lately?' 'Glad the Titans are here to take care of it!'. _The usual mundane stuff, though I s'pose I should be thankful,_ he thought as he passed in front of a large pizza place at a Y intersection, sighing as he picked up the pace a little, anxious to get his errand over with.

"Did you hear what happened just down the road from the Antarks?" the furtive whisper of a middle-aged woman came to Ja'Riha's ears. "Apparently one of the houses on the block turned into steel overnight! Just like **that**, all of a single piece too! What's the world coming to?"

_So,_ he thought as he glanced over to where the whispered conversation was taking place, _looks like I wasn't a moment too soon in findin' Raven. Not such a mundane day after all._ The news wasn't surprising, he'd heard similar things plenty of times over the past few years, but the severity and frequency were increasing more rapidly than he'd thought. It seemed like there wasn't a lot of time left, and he still hadn't gotten around to asking Raven for help. He growled in frustration, and a small dog being walked past him started barking at his back as he kept walking, the dog's owner getting increasingly frustrated at what was normally a placid pet.

After he'd started moving quicker, he reached the Bazaar in short order, coming up to the large building's southern side. He stood for a moment and simply looked at it. It wasn't a particularly old building, like some of the ones that could be found around the area, but it had been built in an older style, brick and mortar, rather than cement and steel. Curves and arches, rather than sharp angles. The building had a domed roof and was mostly red brick, with the entrances on each side being large double arches. In place of windows, there were large, radially geometric cut-outs higher up in the walls to ventilate the building, which he knew could be blocked from the inside when it rained. So much more appealing to Ja'Riha than the giant buildings of metal that tried to pierce the skies. Buildings like this were almost an art form.

_It seems like business is brisk 'ere as usual,_ he thought as he merged with the flow of people entering through one of the arches, watching the trickle that exited through the other. The sun disappeared from view as he entered the building, but he kept his shades on, at least for now - they didn't really hinder his vision, and they kept the colour of his eyes hidden. The arches formed a short tunnel, and as soon as he stepped out of it, the noise of the Bazaar proper washed over him like a wave, easing a tension in his shoulders he hadn't known was there. Ja'Riha slowly made his way deeper inside, passing through beams of light and stopping at various stalls or in front of small shop windows, exchanging a word with an owner here or a shopper there. The Bazaar was a completely different place to the modern shopping center, like something out of time. The stalls and shops were layed out in a rough circle around the inside the building, surrounding a central open space in the very middle. In that open space, underneath the dome, was a resting area with various food stalls and some plant life, which was accessed by smaller arches and tunnels similar to the entrance ones, but slightly more numerous. It was one of these in particular that Ja'Riha was searching for.

Quite aside from the fact that it was never in the same spot, if a regular human - and in most cases, meta-human - were to pass in front of it, they wouldn't even notice it was there. Subtle magic had been woven around this one particular entrance that turned peoples attention away from it, subconsciously. Those with a magical inclination, either from study or born to it, perceived it differently. To them it glowed brightly in their sight, a welcoming light of gold, beckoning them to enter and see wonders both strange and mystical. Finally spotting the golden glow from around the bend, Ja'Riha hurried his steps and approached the arch, foot traffic thinning between one step and the next as he approached. This time it was situated between a shop selling pottery and a stall with a large variety of cloth. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his backpack tighter and stepped forward into the magically infused arched tunnel - to find himself stepping out of it in the same direction he entered, into a mirror image of the Bazaar.

The abrupt transition had left him disoriented the first time he'd made this trip, like it did with almost all newcomers, but he'd visited enough times now to be used to it, only stopping long enough to get his bearings on the latest position of the entrance. Passing in front of him, and occasionally stepping around him to either enter or exit, was a vast mixture of humans and magical beings - Jump wasn't the only city this particular place connected to, so there were more people than you would normally expect. The mixture was predominantly human - witches, warlocks, sorcerers and the like - with a few dimension travelers, a decent amount of various half-breeds and a smaller selection of the full-blooded kind - things like the Fae or trolls or other 'mythological' creatures. He even sensed, though not saw, a pure elemental or two, though he understood it was rare for them to mingle with crowds. Or just at all.

Looking through the gaps between all these people, he could see that he was on what was essentially the Enchanting side of the 'Bizaar', with shops selling already Enchanted items, or the stock items to do it yourself, with blocks of wood, chunks of metal and a wide assortment of herbs and other essences. Dividing the shops into their basic 'schools' of magic was mostly a way to try and keep volatile accidents from non-compatible magics or chemicals to a minimum, though it wasn't always successful. But it _did_ help make it easier to navigate, since the actual layout inside didn't change every other day, like the entrance. Ja'Riha's errand was in one of the 'gray' areas between sections, specifically between the Evocation and Alchemy sections. From where he was standing now, he'd be almost retracing his steps entirely from the opposite, 'normal' side.

_Almost, I could wish that the entrance this time had been closer to my goal,_ he sighed to himself. Not because he was particularly impatient to be done, though in truth he was, but because as he started walking past shops he couldn't help but stop and peruse their wares and be tempted into making a purchase - or ten. It was an effect from his life of enslavement, he knew. Always, he had been giving only what was needed, and more often than not had it taken away again. Nothing had been truly his own, not even his life. Once he'd gotten his freedom and come into some currency, suddenly he could own whatever he wanted and no one would come to take it away from him. Like now, he'd mostly been able to resist the urge to go on a massive spending spree and buy everything that caught his fancy, but it _was_ a struggle at times. But it helped that he knew that a relative newcomer to the scene, throwing around the kind of coins he carried like they were nothing, would arouse too much suspicion, so he'd kept his spending to the bare minimum - for the most part, which was partly where his current trip came into it. Information. Information was the one thing he needed above all else, and it was never cheap.

Pulling himself away from both his memories and a display of amulets and necklaces - noticing one with an active low-level suggestion charm to make people stop and look - he continued on to his destination, trying to remain inconspicuous as he passed through the Evocation shops, another reason he wasn't impressed with the location of the entrance this time. Generally speaking, evocation was considered the more powerful of the basic magics, so this area of the place tended to attract those types, who were usually more perceptive than most of the mediocre talent that otherwise shopped here. He wasn't too worried about them recognizing what he was, though half-demons _were_ pretty rare, but was more concerned with them picking up on what he carried, even if the possibility was low, due to what he was carrying them _in_. But low didn't mean non-existent, so he tried to hurry without seeming to.

Finally, without apparent incident, he was standing in front of the rather run-down storefront that was his ultimate destination. Apart from looking old, the outside wasn't too bad, because of the cleaning spells spaced throughout the bazaar. But looking through the display window, one could see that the inside was a different matter. Cobwebs were a prominent feature in the corners or between items that clearly hadn't been moved in years, if the dust build up was any indication. The merchandise was strewn haphazardly around, with no clear organization put into it, moldy books sitting next to crystals or a sword, a suit of dull armor with a brightly feathered cap on it's helmet and, ironically, a duster in one hand. _What ever possessed me ta ever go inside 'ere the first time?_ Ja'Riha wondered to himself, half amused, as he entered the shop, the bell over the door giving out a sickly ring and half burnt candles giving off a dim light, where they weren't blown out or burnt all the way down. While the place _did_ sell what was on the shelves - though rarely, that much was obvious - the owner's actual trade was as an information broker, which was why he was here. Apart from helping Ja'Riha out with useful tidbits over the years, this was actually where he'd finally heard about Raven's location.

"Ah, a customer, give me a moment and I shall be right there," a dry, male voice came from the back as Ja'Riha looked over the shelves, careful not to disturb the dust, seeing if there was anything new since his last visit.

"Young master, what a pleasant surprise. Back from your excursion I see, free of harm," that same, calm voice said from behind him.

Turning around, he beheld the master of the shop. He was an older man, with hair gone completely white reaching past his shoulders. What could be seen of his face under the flat, wide straw hat with a down-turned brim was lined from age, with more white hair forming a short beard and a long, drooping mustache. He was dressed in a traditional looking, long flowing red robe, with hands currently tucked into the sleeves. Underneath that was another garment, black and closed with a white sash.

"Yeah, it went alright, and yer information was useful, so I'm 'ere to pay the rest," Ja'Riha said to the old man. He'd learned early on, in his time on Earth, that paying fully for something intangible like information before verifying it wasn't the smartest move. Or maybe he'd just gotten some dodgy people. Either way, since then he'd started doing a half-half deal. And if someone tried to shaft him, he sorted them out. Permanently. His dealings with this particular man had been good so far, though.

"It does my old heart good to see such a young man taking his obligations so seriously," the old man said, mouth smiling and an eye gleaming in the shadows beneath his hat. "I'm glad my small clues could be of use to you, paltry as they were," he continued, bowing slightly. Ja'Riha snorted at that - the old guy had practically drawn him a map.

"Yeah, yeah, anyway. Yer information helped me find what I was lookin' fer, so here's the rest of what I owe," Ja'Riha told the man, swinging his backpack off his shoulder and to the ground, unzipping it.

"If I may, young master, what _was_ it you were looking for in that place?" Ja'Riha was asked, causing him to pause in the middle of rummaging around inside his pack, shooting the old man a sharp look and asking a question of his own.

"Why, someone else been askin' questions?" his voice was sharp as he said it. He had no illusions that this man, or any of the others he'd gone to with questions and money, wouldn't turn around and sell that same info to someone else, or tell them who had been asking after such things.

"No, no, simply my own curiosity getting the best of me, I assure you," the man said in a calm, reassuring voice. "You've been a good customer to me, and I expect you'll be so in the future too, so I wouldn't do anything as underhanded as selling out a client."

Ja'Riha grunted, appeased for now. "In that case, I wouldn't want ta spoil the challenge of finding out fer yerself," he said, getting a chuckle in return, as he opened the wooden box inside his bag and carefully extracted a single coin, holding it between thumb and forefinger as he pulled it out, using as little skin as possible. It wasn't dangerous to him, but he hated the sensations these things sent through his being. He closed the lid with his other hand then pulled them both out and held the coin up to the dim light inside the building. Hearing a slight gasp from the old man, who was usually perfectly in control of himself, Ja'Riha smiled. In the light, the silver coin he held up wasn't just a simple coin any longer, though it never had been. Both himself and the old man could see both sides of it shifting and bubbling, before the image of a face appeared, as if trying to push it's way out from _inside_ the coin, trapped beneath the surface. The face was intricately detailed, so much so that you could see the pain in it's silver eyes, the wrinkles and lines on it's face from constantly being twisted in a scream of agony, mouth wide open in such a gesture already, teeth chipped or missing and a lump of scar tissue instead of a tongue, ragged beard picked out in threads of silver.

"A silver soul coin," the man whispered to himself, almost in awe.

"Ya got somethin' to hold this in, or can ye touch it yerself?" Ja'Riha asked him, keeping his voice emotionless as the feelings of the soul trapped in the coin slowly leaked into his mind.

The old man was silent for a moment, staring at what was held before his eyes, before he replied. "Yes, I think I have something that will serve," he said, before continuing with a question, "but how did you come by..._that_?".

"The previous owner...'gave' them ta me," Ja'Riha said, getting impatient and accidentally letting slip that he had more. "The container?" he prompted the other man, who blinked and shook off his surprise before walking out the back and re-appearing a moment later.

"Here, this should do," he said, holding up a small cloth bag, red with gold embroidery, which were probably magical in nature. Ja'Riha waited for him to open it, then slipped the coin in, just fitting it in the opening, glad to have it out of sight and touch. "You know I can't make change for something like this, right?" he was questioned.

"I'd 'ave been surprised if ye could," Ja'Riha told the man. In terms of soul currency, silver was just about the highest order, a more or less pure soul. Needless to say, not generally the type to make it's way to demons and the like. "But like I said, yer information was exactly what I was lookin' fer, so consider it a bonus," he said.

"Well now," the old man mused to himself, "that's very generous of you, young master." He slid the bag, now tightly closed, up a sleeve and contemplated Ja'Riha for a minute before seemingly coming to a decision.

"As thanks for that generosity, and something of a future investment on my part, allow me to give you a little something extra that I heard quite recently. It's not really something most other people would be interested in, anyway," he said to Ja'Riha. It wasn't why he had been so generous with his money, but he wouldn't turn down something that could potentially help him out later, so he waited for the old man to continue, letting the 'suspense' build and letting him have his moment. "Word on the grapevine is...Zatanna Zatara is back in town tomorrow," he finally revealed.

Ja'Riha kept a straight face, though barely. Zatanna Zatara, the main architect of Raven's prison, and from what else he'd heard, instrumental in putting her in there. It wasn't so much the news itself that had shocked Ja'Riha, he'd known she was out of town before he did the break-in and he definitely expected her back, but so soon...it didn't leave much time for preparation, she'd see through his flimsy defenses in short order. At least he had some warning, though. _Speaking of which..._

"What makes ye think her comings and goings are of interest to me?" he asked his wily informant calmly.

"I'm sure I don't know, young master," he said with a smile, "this humble old man just thought you should know. Especially since that facility you were looking for was largely her work," he continued.

"Thanks," Ja'Riha snorted, swinging his backpack back over his shoulder. Whoever this old man really was, he was certainly well informed, and holding his cards close to his chest. His question earlier about what he was looking for was probably just as false as his shop, a cover for something else. _Well, whatever, _Ja'Riha thought to himself, turning to go with a, "Take care of yerself old man, whoever you are."

"Me? I am but a humble shop owner, who happens to have a good ear," he said to Ja'Riha's back as he opened the door and left through it, that bell giving off another sick ring. "You take care of yourself too, young master," he said once the door had closed, the old man's sharp eyes noticing a shadow trailing Ja'Riha, "we have much business to do in the future."

* * *

Nightwing could hear metallic sounds and the beeping of electronics as he headed towards the door to the garage in Titans Tower. _Looks like Cyborg's doing some maintenance on his 'baby',_ Nightwing thought to himself as the door swished open at his approach and the noises grew louder, the sound of cursing also drifting out. Seemed like he was having some trouble.

A drill started up as he entered and looked around, door closing behind him. The sight that met his eyes was a rather messy room, with parts of the T-Car disassembled and lying on the floor, the car itself raised up on a jack in the middle or the room and spare parts pulled off the shelves at the far end and littered everywhere. The garage was Cyborg's domain, so he never complained about any mess, except when it encroached on his bike in one corner, but even so, Cyborg usually kept the room in better condition than this. _Whatever he's working on must be frustrating him,_ Nightwing pondered.

The man himself was muttering curses and standing under his upraised car, with his arms disappearing up underneath it and a computer terminal sticking up from the ground next to him, displaying blueprints of something, presumably whatever he was fixing or fiddling with.

"Yo Cyborg, having some trouble there?" he asked as he stepped around car parts and delicate electronics to approach the man. The drill sound stopped and Cyborg's hands moved for a moment before appearing from inside his car, a cable connecting his cybernetic arm to something inside it. He tapped a few keys on his arm, replying to Nightwing without turning around.

"Man, you have no idea. This magic sensor is driving me up the damn wall," he growled, as he reached over and swiped the screen on the terminal next to him, zooming in on the blueprints currently brought up, "almost makes me want to THROW THE DAMN PIECE OF CRAP IN THE TRASH!". With the yell, he yanked his cable out and used visible effort to stop himself from punching something, since his car was closest and he'd never do anything to hurt it. He started using both hands on the main terminal in front of him, swiftly bringing up and closing plans and files, trying to figure out why his equipment was on the fritz. _Everything I look at checks out physically, there's no reason for it to be playing up!_ he shouted in his head, aware of Nightwing behind him.

_Ah, so that's it,_ Nightwing realized, recalling Cyborg saying he'd try and re-calibrate his magic sensor at the meeting yesterday, _I probably should have had this talk with him earlier_. "Woah, why don't you take a second to relax Cyborg," Nightwing told him gently, putting a hand on Cyborg's shoulder, aware of the stress him and the rest of the team were under. "Have a quick break, I need to talk with you anyway. It will probably help with your sensor issues, though I don't think it's actually a problem with your equipment itself," he consoled the cybernetic man.

"Your damn right it ain't my equipment!" Cyborg muttered to himself, but stopped what he was doing and turned around to face his leader, intrigued by what he had to say. He also had to have a talk with Nightwing, ever since that team meeting, but he'd been putting it off, immersing himself in his car to distract himself. "So what's up man?" he asked to get the ball rolling.

"Alright, well first, I got those files from the police department about all those incidents they were calling us about the other day, as well as a bunch of others that seemed similar," Nightwing started, stepping around Cyborg and using the computer that was there to bring up said files. "I've already gone through them, most of them seem to have been solved or the culprit caught anyway, except for a couple, but I couldn't come up with any major links between the crimes that could indicate any external influence," he continued, bringing up some of his notes and comparisons for Cyborg to look at.

"Okay...and? While I'm happy you're keeping me in the loop, this kind of thing is really more up your alley than mine," Cyborg pointed out to Nightwing. He knew he'd mentioned to Nightwing that something might be up with all these crimes, but he didn't see what his leader was getting at.

"That's true, but I was hoping you could run the details through a program or two, just in case. I'd rather have someone double-check and prove me wrong then be blind sided by something down the track," Nightwing explained to his friend.

"Hmm, sure man, I guess I can do that," Cyborg said as he downloaded the files on the screen to his internal systems for later, "anything in particular you wanted me to run comparisons on?".

"Thanks Cyborg. And yeah, if you could...anything to do with magic," he said after a short pause, getting a raised brow from Cyborg. "You might get it when I tell you the next bit," he explained, ready to tell Cyborg about the magic incidents going on around the globe, "it also has to do with why Zatanna isn't here right now helping with the Raven thing, and probably why your sensor is playing up."

"I'm all ears man, lay it on me," Cyborg said firmly.

"Alright, well you might have heard parts of the whole already, there's a gag-order on the media but you know those things are never air-tight," he started off, surprising Cyborg already - gag-orders on the media were no small thing. "Essentially, for reasons unknown, magic has started acting up a lot lately, with sometimes benign results, but more often than not, fatal ones. And a lot of the time it's not even centered on a practitioner, none that have been found anyway," he continued explaining to the speechless Cyborg.

"Woah, dude, that explains some of the news reports that have popped up on my feeds. But why the media gag? Obviously the League know about these things happening, since I assume it's by their order?" Cyborg asked, trying to understand. But when he thought about it for a minute, he knew why. To stop a panic. If it was as widespread and big as Nightwing was implying, then there'd be a lot of people panicking, or harassing the governments the take care of the problem - the problem, in their minds, being magic practitioners. There was every chance it would end up a witch hunt, with even some heroes being targeted. Nightwing could see the comprehension on his friends face and confirmed it for him.

"That's right, to avoid mass panic. Nobody wants a repeat of the great Witch Hunts from so long ago, though it's doubtful it would go that far, but people can be unpredictable sometimes, and governments are just as bad when they think their power is being threatened, one way or another," Nightwing said. "Unfortunately, as you've already seen, it's impossible to keep a lid on the events completely. Word of mouth, the internet, or zealous reporters, there's numerous ways for it to get out, so the League is working overtime to keep it under wraps as much as possible until a cause is determined," he finished calmly.

"So that's where Zatanna is now? You said she was doing League work. She doesn't strike me as the 'clean up' type though. And you think all this might have something to do with my sensor playing up?" Cyborg asked, processing the news and working through what it might mean.

"I don't know any details about her job, but I'm under the impression that she's actually looking into a lead on what might be causing this," Nightwing explained, being mostly truthful. He did know some more details, but mostly just that she was working in Britain somewhere, and that the tip came from a man named Constantine, who the League apparently weren't too fond of working with, when they could help it. But whatever the tip was and whatever she was looking for, he had no idea. _Not that I'd likely understand anyway,_ Nightwing thought with annoyance.

"As for your sensor," he continued, "yes, I believe it might be because of the magic incidents going on. I contacted the League and they seem to be having similar problems with their own equipment, though not everywhere."

Cyborg frowned at that. "It's not scrambling signals everywhere?" he asked, getting a nod from Nightwing. "And they didn't think that strange?" he questioned.

"I never asked, actually," Nightwing said in surprise, "but I would assume they've looked into it already. Still, you're right, it's worth checking out ourselves. I'll contact them again just to make sure they've looked, but in the meantime you should try to get something from your equipment," Nightwing suggested to Cyborg, "a pattern, or a concentration or something. If we're lucky, maybe we can at least start pinpointing where these things might happen and get the people out."

"Sure man, now that I know there's a reason for it, there's a few things I can try out," Cyborg agreed, with a slight rebuke in his voice for Nightwing keeping the information to himself until now. The public, he could kind of understand, but there should be no need to keep it from his team mates. "I might need one of the others to do some flying later and set up a couple of things around town," he said to Nightwing.

"That shouldn't be a problem, I'll let them know that you might call one of them later," Nightwing readily agreed as he turned and started making his way to the door. He was stopped short by his friend's voice speaking softly behind him, though.

"Why didn't you tell us, man?" Cyborg asked, staring hard at Nightwing's back. He was sure he'd know what he was talking about. _That video Nightwing showed us, did any of the others put it together?_

Nightwing's shoulder slumped as he sighed. He knew. His friend was talking about Raven's prison. "So, you noticed then. I thought you might have," he said, no way out of the conversation to come.

"Yeah, of course," Cyborg said bitterly. "I reconstructed what I could from the image, and a few other things I found, and it wasn't a pretty picture. How could you do that to her man? Even if we agreed with you to put her away, reluctantly, going that far..." he muttered, angry now. He strode over to Nightwing, heedless of the parts on the floor as they scattered under his feet, grabbed his leader's shoulder and spun him around, pushing him against the wall. "She was our friend, man! More than that, she was family! Without her, the Titans probably wouldn't even exist today," he all but shouted in Nightwing's face, "even hardcore criminals - killers! - are better treated than what you put her through! And I doubt what I managed to put together was all of it, either," he growled, Nightwing staying passive under his hand at his tirade.

"You think I wanted to do that to her?" Nightwing whispered, head down. "You think I wouldn't have done better for her if I could have? I'm well aware of what she was to all of us. But you have to face the facts, there was no way a normal cell was going to hold her Cyborg. And what makes you think she _wasn't_ a killer?" he asked, shocking Cyborg to silence - but only for a moment.

"No, a normal cell _wouldn't_ have held her, but you know what Nightwing, we have a magic containment cell right here in the Tower!" Cyborg yelled as he shook Nightwing, letting the feelings that had built up over the last day or so out. "And of course she ain't a killer! Demonic Raven maybe, sure, but she sure as _hell_ didn't seem out of control when we fought her! Besides being _**pissed**_ _**at us**_, of course." Nightwing's own emotions finally got the better of him and he shrugged off Cyborgs hand, confronting his team-mate.

"And who do you think helped make that containment cell!?" he shouted, "Raven, that's who! You don't think she would've found a way out eventually!? I did what I thought I had to at the time, and I knew the rest of you couldn't handle it, so I kept the details to myself!" he finished, panting. He'd also kept what he knew of Raven's misadventure from his team, and the League. _No point bringing it up now, assuming he'd believe me after this,_ he thought to himself bitterly.

Cyborg was quiet for a moment, before he replied. "We could've fixed it, man. Or we could've made something better, more humane, as a _group_. What do you think this would do to the team now, if they found out? Once they realize they kept her locked up like **that** for ten years?" he asked softly. "The guilt would all but destroy Star and the Green Bean, you know it would. Hell, it's not sitting well with _me_."

"And are you going to tell them?" Nightwing asked seriously, still breathing heavily, looking Cyborg in the eyes.

"They have a right to know, but...I can't do that to them," Cyborg admitted, shifting his eyes away. Honestly, he almost wished he'd never found out himself. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss. "But what about Raven? You know she's going to be back, and she's going to be pissed. Think you can keep her quiet about it? It would be better coming from you man, rather than during a fight," he told Nightwing. He could see the conflict on his leaders face - he knew something like this might break the team, or at least hinder them for a while. "And also...If you're willing to go that far with Raven, what about the rest of us?". There was an uncomfortable silence after that last question.

Even before the Raven incident, and especially afterwards, they'd known that Nightwing, or Robin then, had contingencies in place to deal with them if something happened. What if someone turned traitor again, like Terra originally had? Or if someone got control of Cyborg again, like Brother Blood had? Or if someone just decided the other side of the coin suited them more. There were plenty of situations like that where a quick and easy solution could save lives. It was an open secret that even Batman had plans in place for League members - "Who would watch the watchers?". But that didn't help make it sit well with those people.

"Let me ask you something, Cyborg," Nightwing sighed, "if someone got hold of your technology - the tech that saved your life - and turned it into a weapon, what would you do?"

"I'd stop them, of course," he replied, seeing where Nightwing was going with this.

"Of course. You'd do everything you could to make sure your tech didn't hurt anyone. But if you couldn't? If _you_ were the weapon? What if you hadn't broken Brother Blood's control over you, all those years ago?" Nightwing asked rhetorically. "You'd want us to stop you. We all know you couldn't live with yourself if the machines that give you life took someone else's."

"It makes sense logically Nightwing, but..." Cyborg sighed, leaving his sentence unfinished - Nightwing knew what he left unsaid, logic held no sway over emotions. "We all thought you'd put her in a decent place, man. How do you sleep at night?" he finally asked in a whisper. The guilt for being part of it hung heavy on him, he couldn't imagine being the person to give the orders and make the decisions.

"I don't," Nightwing answered quietly, as he turned back around to the door and stepped through it when it opened. Just before it closed, his voice came back to Cyborg. "And what makes you think I don't have something just as drastic set up for myself?".

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so firstly, that old man Ja'Riha is talking with during the start **_**isn't**_** just a random, some people might recognize him from the show. If not...I'm not saying anything just yet.**

**I kept going back and adding conversation to Cyborg/Nightwing too, because I couldn't fit it well near the end, so let me if something doesn't really seem to fit well and I'll try and edit it.**

**Net chapter shouldn't be such a long wait, maybe a couple of days. Bit of Zatanna will show up, as well more Ja'Riha. Now, I shall have a break and play some Diablo 3.**


End file.
